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Seasonal Catch-Rates VANUATU Fishing for billfish in Vanuatu is likely to be highly seasonal. Although occasional black marlin may be caught, most fish will be blue or striped marlin. Blue marlin should be in significant numbers from November through March. They may be more abundant from Espiritu Santo north than further south. Striped marlin are likely to be caught around the southern half of Vanuatu from September to December, with a distinct peak in October and November. These fish will be spawning or pre-spawning fish and may include exceptionally large individuals. Efate and more southern islands may prove to be one of the few land bases with good access to spawning grounds of striped marlin. Because Vanuatu is towards the southern limit of the normal range of blue marlin and towards the northern end of the range of striped marlin, high year-to-year variability in the relative numbers of the two species might be expected as oceanic conditions vary. Good years for one of the species are likely to be poor years for the other, as in Hawaii, and may relate to the southward extent of the South Equatorial Counter Current. Years with warmer water temperatures may see higher catch-rates of blue marlin while years with cooler water temperatures may see higher catch-rates of striped marlin. web@aims.gov.au
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