Oct. 26, 2023 — Costa Sunglasses has announced a new project to benefit the striped marlin fishery in Magdalena Bay, Mexico. In collaboration with the locals of San Carlos, Mexico, The Billfish Foundation, and the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), Costa’s Marlin Fly Project is the first recorded billfish research mission using only fly tackle, according to the company.
 
The project gathered Costa Pros (professional anglers and fishing guides), leading billfish scientists, conservation organizations, and community partners in Southwestern Baja, Mexico, in December 2022 to work in tandem with local captains, guides, and the San Carlos community.
 
The Marlin Fly Project team successfully deployed 15 satellite tags in two days to track post-release survivability, migrational patterns, swimming depth, and water temperature, Costa shares, and an additional 20 spaghetti tags were deployed to provide important ongoing recapture data. The efforts of this project will help fill crucial data gaps and aid in the conservation of this highly migratory species.
 
“The epic fishing tales coming out of Magdalena ‘Mag’ Bay alone attracted us to the region in 2021, but what we found there was an authentic community, rich with culture, built alongside an untamed ecosystem,” says Jed Larkin, brand director for Costa Sunglasses. According to Larkin, the trip inspired the idea to utilize Costa’s scientific resources and work with the San Carlos community to research and protect the area.
 
While anglers from all over the world travel to Magdalena Bay “to experience one of the most incredible billfish fisheries on the planet,” IGFA conservation director Bruce Pohlot, Ph.D., shares, scientific research on the striped marlin population in the Eastern Pacific is lacking. “That’s why the IGFA was happy to jump on board with our longtime partners at Costa when they started asking questions about what can be done to protect this magnificent resource.”
 
The Marlin Fly Project also participated in organized cleanups along the San Carlos coastline. On the final night, participants in the project hosted local guide families to celebrate and show gratitude for their hospitality and guidance.
 
An eight-minute documentary on the Marlin Fly Project is available here.