Seasonal availability and catchability of sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus, in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Guatemala

Sailfish in the eastern Pacific Ocean off Guatemala support a historically important sport fishery with catch rates that are among the highest in the world. Complex seasonal oceanographic regimes prevail in the region, driving biophysical conditions that frame the availability and recruitment of the species to the sport fisheries. In Guatemala, a small sport fishing fleet operates from a single marina located in the only natural port available on the country’s Pacific coast. Seasonal sport fishing grounds are well-defined in areas 20–60 nm offshore and are associated with annual wind-driven upwelling, which creates hypoxia-based habitat compression near the surface. In this work, we present the first assessment of regional and localized oceanographic regime effects on seasonal sport sailfish catch rates realized over a period of 30 years. The co-occurring environmental variables and events affecting catch rates generate meaningful support for local billfish resource governance purposes. The results are compared with recreational sailfish catch rates observed in Costa Rica allowing a more comprehensive understanding of more localized ecosystem conditions that frame sailfish habitat use in the study area.