BILLFISH SYMPOSIUM
51st Annual Meeting of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries
Institute(GCFI)
Cormorant Beach Resort
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Friday,November 13, 1998
We are pleased to announce a billfish symposium will held at the
upcoming meeting of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute in St.
Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. This session will be patterned after the
symposium held in 1994 at the GCFI meeting at Margarita Island,
Venezuela.
The session will begin with two invited presentations to set the
stage for the papers to follow with plenty of time for audience
questions and participation. The first presentation will focus on
understanding the International billfish management regime and recent
changes promulgated by ICCAT. The second will provide a
multi-disciplinary overview of recent billfish research progress and
suggest priorities for a future research agenda.
Eleven papers (15 minute presentation with 5 minutes for questions)
will be selected from abstracts submitted to GCFI ( see instructions
for submitting abstracts below!). Again, a multi-disciplinary
emphasis is encouraged and papers are sought on the following topics:
(1) Current Isssues and Billfish Research Throughout the Caribbean:
a)ICCAT (Enhanced Research Program for Billfish) ERPB, b) swordfish,
(2) Genetics and Species ID: a) mtDNA, b)chemical tests for ID, 3)
Human Dimensions of Billfish Fisheries: a)economic impacts and value
of billfish fisheries and tournaments, b)characterization of billfish
anglers in support of tourism development, 4) Management:
a)post-release survival, b) reducing mortality on released fish,
5) Stock Assessment: a)Blue marlin, b) white marlin, c) sailfish,
d)swordfish, 6) Tagging: a) archival tags, b) pop-up tags c)
traditional tagging, and ( 7) ) Other Related Topics
Some papers received regarding billfish research and management
topics will be reviewed for inclusion in the poster session which
will be re-instituted at GCFI this year. (If you prefer the less
formal poster session for your paper, please state your preference
when you submit your abstract). Poster presenters will submit a
one-page (300 words maximum) informative abstract for inclusion in
the conference proceedings (due at the meeting).
The one-day symposium session will conclude with a one and half hour
moderated roundtable session to promote discussion, interaction, and
understanding of recent billfish research in support of management
efforts in the region as well as the need for future cooperative
efforts throughout the Caribbean .
Manuscripts addressing topics outside these subject areas are invited
and will be incorporated into the program, subject to time
limitations. Abstracts, not exceeding 300 words must be received by
31 July 1998 and may be in English, French or Spanish. A 3.5'
diskette in MS Word, WordPerfect and/or ASCII text is recommended
(the diskette will be returned with notification of acceptance).
Abstracts should be submitted to: R. Leroy Creswell, Executive
Secretary, GCFI, Inc., c/o Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution,
Inc., 5600 US 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL 34946 USA PHONE: (561)
465-2400 ext. 405 FAX: (561) 466 1506 E-MAIL: creswell@hboi.edu
If you have any questions about this upcoming symposium session,
please contact Bob Ditton or Mark Farber, Symposium Co-chairs:
Robert B. Ditton
Professor
Texas A&M University
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
College Station, TX 77843-2258
Phone (409)845-5777 Fax: (409)845-3786
e-mail: rditton@orca.tamu.edu
Mark I. Farber
Billfish Survey Coordinator
National Marine Fisheries Service
75 Virginia Beach Drive
Miami, FL 33149
Phone(305) 361-4231 Fax: (305) 361-4499
email: mark.farber@noaa.gov
