Roots of Renewal: Restoring Mangroves in The Bahamas

Roots of Renewal: Restoring Mangroves in The Bahamas

The real bonefishing experts are helping to guide Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s science and conservation efforts in The Bahamas.

At Fishpond, conservation is at the core of our mission to use our platform to protect clean water, healthy habitats, and the species that help define our wild places. That’s why we’re proud to support Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and their transformative work in The Bahamas. Through the purchase of our co-branded products, you’re directly contributing to the replanting of mangroves devastated by Hurricane Dorian. Together, we aim to restore vital habitats that sustain not only marine life but also the communities and economies that depend on them.

You can have a great time DIY fishing while visiting The Bahamas, but if you want dependable shots at bonefish, you’re going to want a local guide to take you. Similarly, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust has always worked closely with Bahamian guides, understanding that they have the greatest knowledge of the fishery, and are stewards of the resource with the most at stake.

Hurricane Dorian was the worst storm in Bahamian history. The Category 5 hurricane hit the Northern Bahamas in 2019, causing catastrophic destruction. Lives were lost. Homes and businesses were leveled. The hurricane’s winds and storm surge left the landscape barren. BTT researchers determined that the mangrove forests on Abaco and Grand Bahama Island were past the point of being able to recover without a helping hand.

Mangroves are amazing plants. Red mangroves grow in saltwater, extracting the H2O they need and passing the salt out through their leaves. Their roots are an underwater maze where fish evade predators and feed on a rich buffet of small marine organisms. Mangroves also offer an incredible defense against climate change, absorbing and storing huge amounts of CO2. They act as natural buffers against rising seas and increasingly intense storms, preventing coastal erosion and protecting inland communities. Furthermore, mangroves are essential nursery habitat for juvenile bonefish and many other species.

In the wake of Dorian, local fishing guides helped BTT determine which damaged areas to prioritize for mangrove restoration. Some were hired to help plant trees, supplementing some of their lost income. BTT’s team has brought students, teachers, and volunteers together with local officials and international NGOs to get hands-on habitat restoration experience. BTT joined local partners to found the Bahamas Mangrove Alliance (BMA) on Earth Day 2023, and as BTT approaches its initial goal of 100,000 mangroves planted by the end of 2024, the BMA has set a new goal of one million trees by the end of 2025!

BTT and partners also continue working to expand protections for mangroves nationwide. Habitat restoration is expensive and difficult work, so it is most effective to protect natural habitats before they become degraded. Armed with scientific information, BTT data on bonefish habitat use, movements, and spawning contributed to the creation of five national parks and the expansion of a sixth. BTT data also contributed to the selection of 25 additional locations that are pending national park status.

In their research, BTT scientists rely on fishing guides for their insight and expertise. Guides have helped BTT track down nearly a dozen pre-spawning aggregation sites in The Bahamas. The search for more PSAs continues. Guides also work with BTT researchers to catch and tag bonefish to track their movements. They collect fin clips or fecal swab samples to be sent in for analysis so scientists can determine information like what the fish are eating.

Bonefishing is big business in The Bahamas. Flats fishing contributes $169 million to the Bahamian economy each year. But the fishery still faces many threats, with habitat loss topping that list. Guides are BTT’s eyes on the water, reporting illegal cutting and removal of mangroves and unwise coastal development projects. BTT can then advocate for sustainable development practices using scientific evidence to highlight the threats these activities pose to the valuable flats fishery.

Many people think of mangroves as a swampy place filled with insects that you would want to avoid. But anglers know their value. So do environmentalists. To foster greater understanding of the importance of healthy mangroves, BTT leads “flats days” for primary through high school students, pairing in-classroom instruction with field experience planting mangroves or fishing the flats.

This month, BTT will hold a celebration as the 100,000th mangrove is planted on Grand Bahama Island. As we come together with fishing guides, lodges, students and teachers, local officials, and non-profit partners, this will be an important moment to acknowledge the achievements of the last five years. And then we will get on with the work so that the next generation of anglers can experience the thrill of chasing the Gray Ghost.

As Bonefish & Tarpon Trust sets its sights on the ambitious goal of planting one million mangroves by the end of 2025, Fishpond is proud to renew our commitment to supporting their transformative work. Together, we recognize that the health of the natural world is not just vital to the species and habitats we cherish but also to the communities and livelihoods that depend on them. This shared perspective drives our partnership and reinforces our dedication to ensuring that future generations inherit a thriving, resilient planet. Through the purchase of our co-branded products, you can join us in this important mission to restore mangroves and protect the ecosystems that define the value of wild places.

Join us in supporting BTT’s Bahamas Mangrove Restoration Project and help protect these vital habitats. Shop the BTT Collection today to directly support this initiative. To learn more about the project visit BTT.org/Bahamas-Mangroves.

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