We distribute fish tags to anglers who regularly catch and release billfish, tuna, and swordfish. Our program is a community science effort that depends heavily on volunteers who are frequently out on the water.
Southeast Fisheries Science Center’s Cooperative Tagging Program relies on information collected by volunteers—charter captains, anglers, and commercial fishermen—who are frequently out on the water. Volunteers not only tag and release billfish (sailfish and marlin), tuna, and swordfish, but also report when they have recaptured one. By recording interactions with tagged fish, scientists are learning more about when and where the fish migrate and the range of their habitat. They also learn seasonal patterns, shifts in behavioral changes, and other aspects of their ecology, as well as post-release survival. All of this information leads to a more sustainably managed fishery.
Are you a recreational angler in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, or Caribbean that targets blue-water species and occasionally releases billfish or tuna? Then you can be a volunteer of the program by getting a free tagging kit that comes with the directions on how to successfully be a part of the program.
Placing identification tags on highly migratory species is the first step in better understanding them. Once a fish is tagged, we can compare any information collected during future sightings. These sightings, called recaptures, can tell us a lot of information about a fish. First, we know that the fish is still alive. This allows us to estimate the age of the fish and better understand the lifespan of the species. Recaptures also give us data on the fish’s location. By recording these interactions with tagged fish, scientists are learning more about when and where the fish migrate, and the range of their habitat.
Our Cooperative Tagging Program is one of the longest running tag and release programs for highly migratory species in the world. It’s also one of NOAA’s longest-lived community science efforts. Since 1954, recreational anglers and commercial fishermen have deployed more than 270,000 conventional streamer tags on more than 70 species of fish. NOAA works in collaboration with The Billfish Foundation and Gray FishTag Research to collect data to advance our understanding of targeted fish populations so that management measures continue to support productive and sustainable fisheries. Collected data helps to inform international stock assessments of tunas and billfishes and are a key component in identifying Essential Fish Habitat in U.S. waters.
All volunteers first need a tagging kit. Each kit has instructions on tagging procedures, best practices for fish handling, and how to report needed information if you catch a tagged fish.
To request a free tagging kit, email tagging@noaa.gov or call (800) 437-3936.
The collection of tagging information is authorized under the OMB Control Number included in the Citizen Science & Crowdsourcing Information Collection page.
We encourage all program participants to read the instructions carefully. It is important that the fishermen include as much information as possible on the Fish Tagging Report.
Mailing address:
NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center
75 Virginia Beach Drive
Miami, FL 33149
Phone: (800) 437-3936
Email: tagging@noaa.gov
Staff: Eric Orbesen, Derke Snodgrass
An oceanic whitetip shark swims near the surface of the water. Photo courtesy of John Carlson.
Blacktip sharks. Credit: iStock.
Releasing a sandbar shark on a shark survey.
