Approximately six weeks a year, a white marlin (locally known as “Skillie”) population resides in the Nantucket Shoals off the coast of southeastern New England. Previously recognized as a famous swordfishery, the fishery began evolving into exclusively white marlin in the 80s. By the end of the century, anglers were experiencing record numbers of fish, but the annual return of these larger than average inshore Skillies hasn’t remained consistent.
By the end of the century, anglers were experiencing record numbers of fish, but the annual return of these larger than average inshore Skillies, found on the surface, hasn’t remained consistent. In recent years, local anglers have been taking note of what seems like a recent return of the species and have been investing their time into understanding the history of the fishery and working to protect it for the future.
A phone call to The Billfish Foundation in spring of 2024, led to the idea of a community-based, collaborative satellite tagging project, which quickly gained support from industry-leading brands and invested anglers.
In just four short months, the need for this project became increasingly evident as an impressive 17 satellite tags were donated by individuals, brands and University of Maine’s Pelagic Science Lab to support.
By mid-August, with just a few weeks left in the fishing window, tags were aboard Vikings run by Capt. John Galvin and Capt. Rob Goodwin for The Skillie Project - The Billfish Foundation’s largest white marlin satellite tagging project to date.
An already unpredictable and challenging fishery, requiring near-perfect conditions and the added challenge of deploying tags on viable candidates, the chance of tagging was slim.
Defying odds, in collaboration with UMaine and Capt. Martin Scanlan, local captains, fishery pioneers, and the greater fishing communities of southeastern New England, The Skillie Project successfully deployed five white marlin satellite tags in its inaugural year.
Findings from this research mission will help fill data gaps on this understudied highly migratory species (HMS), give us a better understanding of their migratory patterns and support effective management strategies to ensure future generations of one of Nantucket’s most-prized game fish.
Want to make a difference? Join The Skillie Project in our mission to protect white marlin and preserve our marine ecosystems. Together, we can create lasting change for these incredible species and their habitats. Send us an email at theskillieproject@gmail.com to find out how you can help.
Passionate groups and organizations that support white marlin conservation and the mission of The Skillie Project. Click on their logos to learn more about their impactful work.
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The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works globally to advance the conservation of billfish and associated highly migratory species through research, advocacy and education. Founded in 1986 by Winthrop P. Rockefeller, Dr. Eric Prince, and a group of fifty founding members, The Billfish Foundation (TBF) fosters strong billfish conservation ethics to educate anglers of all generations and provide a voice for billfish and the global recreational sport fishing industry. TBF’s Tag & Release program, which began in 1990, has grown to be the largest international private billfish tagging program with over 280,000 reports, and serves as a cornerstone of its mission. With a focus on integrating science and policy, TBF continues to be a leader in influencing effective fishery management solutions that benefit both billfish populations and the angling community. For more information, visit www.billfishfoundation.org or follow on social media @TheBillfishFoundation.
