IGFA Roosterfish Research Program

Did You Know?

• Roosterfish are one of the most important inshore species along the Pacific Coast of Mexico and Central America
• Recreational fishing for roosterfish contributes significantly to local economies throughout their range
• Commercial artisanal and subsistence fisheries for roosterfish exist across their range, but the impact on their stocks is unknown
• The scientific community knows almost nothing about roosterfish movements or the connectivity of their populations
• Common fisheries statistics used to estimate the population’s health are not available for roosterfish, which leads to an inability
to properly manage the stocks
• It is impossible to manage roosterfish in the face of a changing ocean and commercial fisheries without knowing more about
their population

Questions the IGFA Roosterfish Research Program will answer:

1. What is the contemporary population structure of roosterfish throughout their range, and what are the most
appropriate population management units locally and internationally?
2. What is the effective population size of roosterfish?
3. What is the historical gene flow of roosterfish?
4. How connected is the roosterfish population? From Mexico to Peru, do roosterfish make up one large stock or
multiple localized stocks?
5. Should this species be managed by individual countries or as a single large stock across its range?
6. What indications do we have for how roosterfish will cope with future climatic conditions along its range?

The IGFA Roosterfish Research Program is being conducted in collaboration with the world’s leading roosterfish experts, Dr. Sofía Ortega Garcia of Instituto Politécnico Nacional-CICIMAR and Dr. Jaime Alvarado Bremer of Texas A&M University in Galveston. Genetic studies will collect fin clip samples from roosterfish from Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, Guatemala, and Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula over a two-year period.

How can you help?

Make a gift today to support our critical work in roosterfish research. The International Game Fish Association is a United States 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions may be tax deductible to the extent of the law. For more information about how you can support the project, please contact IGFA Chief Development Officer Barbara E. Cini, JD, CFRE at [email protected] or 954-498-7153,