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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 32 Number 12
July 2005
Watch out for tags! Rewards for juvenile bluefin returns
DURHAM, NH - There’s a new bluefin tagging project going on this year, and participating scientists are asking fishermen – especially general category guys who opt to charter – to be on the lookout for juvenile fish with archival tags implanted in their bodies.
The archival tags are small data loggers that record depth, temperatures, and light and will allow scientists to determine the migration patterns of younger bluefin. Ultimately, that information should lead to more effective management by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
Tagging began in June off of Virginia and will continue in the coming months as far north as Maine. The project is part of ICCAT’s “Bluefin Year Program.”
The most important thing for fishermen to be aware of is how critical it is not to damage or discard these tags. The only way the data can be recovered is for the tag to be returned intact.
“If at all possible, we would really like to get the whole fish back,” said Molly Lutcavage, scientific director of the Large Pelagics Research Lab at the University of New Hampshire (UNH).
Keep tag intact
If that’s not possible, the scientists are asking fishermen to remove the implanted archival tag, taking special care not to damage the light stalk.
The light stalk is the part of the tag that sticks out of the fish either from the dorsal side (back muscle) or the ventral side (belly cavity). Fishermen are being asked not to cut off the stalk or pull it out of the tag.
Next, stow the entire data logger device, along with the second identification streamer tag located near the dorsal fin, in a safe place. Jot down the date, catch location, sea surface temperature, if possible, and the length and weight of the fish. Then immediately contact one of the research partners. Call collect if necessary.
Reward
Fishermen who follow the procedures and safely return the tag will receive a $500 reward for their efforts.
To report a tag recovery or for more information, contact any of the following members of the Northwest Atlantic Collaborative Archival Tagging Project:
• Large Pelagics Research Lab, UNH, Molly Lutcavage – phone (603) 862-2891 or (603) 862-2897 or e-mail <tuna.lab@unh.edu>;
• Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Greg Skomal – (508) 693-4372 or e-mail <gregory.skomal@state.ma.us>; or
• Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Jon Lucy or Rich Brill – (804) 684-7166 or e-mail <lucy@vims.edu>. /cfn/
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