Annual IGFA Great Marlin Race Crowns
Remarkable Journey in Billfish Conservation

Bay of Islands Swordfish Club’s striped marlin makes IGFA Great Marlin Race History

 

The IGFA proudly announces the results of the annual Great Marlin Race, where anglers tag billfish for research. Partnering with Stanford University, the initiative provides valuable data to improve billfish conservation.

The International Game Fish Association is proud to announce the results of the annual IGFA Great Marlin Race. Taking place from October 1 – September 30 each year, the IGFA Great Marlin Race is a billfish research and conservation initiative allowing recreational anglers to become citizen scientists by deploying satellite tags on the billfish they catch. A collaboration between the IGFA and Dr. Barbara Block’s lab at Stanford University, the tags transmit vital information to researchers who analyze and share the data, leading to a better understanding of these incredible animals and how to better manage them.

Since its launch in 2011, the IGFA Great Marlin Race has transformed the way that scientists, anglers, and policymakers understand billfish migration patterns and habitat utilization, helping secure the future of these dynamic species for generations. To date, through the race, more than 600 satellite tags have been deployed on billfish worldwide, making it the largest program of its kind.

During the 2023-2024 race, a total of 30 satellite tags were deployed on five billfish species during 14 global tagging events. While some tags are set to provide data for the 2024-2025 race, 17 tags surfaced during this year's race, revealing fascinating migration patterns and a cumulative estimated track distance of 80,912 nm over 4,597 days across blue (11), striped (10), white (7), and black marlin (1), as well as Mediterranean spearfish (1). The IGFA is excited to declare that the winner of the 2023-2024 IGFA Great Marlin Race is a tagged striped marlin sponsored by the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club, a top supporter of the program. The winning tag was deployed aboard the Nammu by Captain David Wooff during the 2024 New Zealand tagging event.

The IGFA Great Marlin Race winner, a striped marlin tagged by Captain David Wooff, sponsored by the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club.

Demonstrating an extraordinary journey, the winning striped marlin, caught by Oscar Avery on January 6, 2024, traveled an impressive straight-line distance of 4,739 nm from the tagging location off the northeast coast of New Zealand and popped up on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, west of the Galapagos Islands after 244 days at liberty. This incredible journey is not just this year's longest but also ranks as the third longest in the program's history and the longest for a striped marlin by over 2000 nm, with a total estimated travel distance of 6,517 nm.

The winning striped marlin traveled 4,739 nm in a straight line and an estimated 6,517 nm overall, marking the longest striped marlin journey in IGFA history.

These remarkable distances are not just numbers but represent the critical data contributing to our understanding of billfish behavior, life history, and migratory patterns, integral to billfish conservation and the health of our oceans. The impressive movement data collected from the victorious striped marlin offers researchers a glimpse into seldom reported trans-Pacific movements and will help improve our understanding of stock connectivity for this species. All data collected throughout the existence of the IGFA Great Marlin Race has been accomplished with financial support and assistance from recreational anglers.

"The IGFA Great Marlin Race was established to involve the angling community in citizen science," said IGFA President, Jason Schratwieser. "By marrying competition and conservation, we can gather data that helps ensure the survival of these magnificent species. This year's winners exemplify the heart of this program: a deep commitment to conservation and the betterment of sport fishing."

"By marrying competition and conservation, we can gather data that helps ensure the survival of these magnificent species. This year's winners exemplify the heart of this program: a deep commitment to conservation and the betterment of sport fishing."
                                                                     - Jason Schratwieser, IGFA President

This year's IGFA Great Marlin Race has shed light on unprecedented migratory patterns, especially the trans-Pacific journey of the winning striped marlin, the first of its kind recorded by the research program. These insights are crucial for the development of effective conservation strategies, ensuring these species thrive for future generations.

The IGFA extends hearty congratulations to the winners and expresses profound gratitude to all participants and supporters of the 2023-2024 IGFA Great Marlin Race. Their contributions solidify the legacy of sport fishing and emphasize the pivotal role anglers play in billfish conservation.

The IGFA Great Marlin Race, proudly presented by Costa Sunglasses, is made possible through the generous support of sponsors AFTCO, Bass Pro Shops and the Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, PENN, and Yamaha Rightwaters. For more information on the IGFA Great Marlin Race or to participate in future events, please click here.