What is fish tagging?

Fish tagging is a scientific technique to study fish stocks.  A small plastic tag is attached to fish so that it is visible to divers and fishermen who might encounter the fish in the future.  The tagging procedure does not harm the fish, which heal rapidly, and will not affect the quality of the fish for human consumption.  All fish in a particular area will be tagged with the same color tag and each individual tag has a unique letter/number code so that individual fish can be identified.  When fish are tagged, information on that fish are recorded, such as where and when it was tagged, the color and tag code and how big the fish is.  When tagged fish are captured by fishermen, information on where and when the fish was caught, and its size will allow scientists to determine critical information about Nassau grouper in The Bahamas, including: fish growth rates and movement patterns.  Such information is essential to improve management of the fishery for the benefit of Bahamians

Preliminary results of fish tagging

For several years, Nassau grouper have been tagged in the Exuma  Cays.  Results from this pilot study show that, although Nassau grouper tend to stay within a small home range for most of the year, they may move hundreds of miles to spawn in the winter.  Fish from the throughout the Exuma Cays have been caught at spawning sites on Long Island, and from Farmer’s Cay to Little Exuma during migrations to and from spawning aggregations.  In addition, at least two fish tagged in the Exuma Cays have been caught at reported spawning aggregation locations along the Tongue of the Ocean.  This information is preliminary, but suggests that Nassau grouper stocks from distant parts of the Central Bahamas may be linked by movement to and from spawning sites.

How you can help?

The participation of fishermen and local communities is critical to the success of this project.  BREEF and the Perry Institute for Marine Science are looking for help from fishermen to tag and release Nassau grouper.  Tagging is easy, does not harm fish, and will provide valuable information about Nassau grouper stocks in the Bahamas.  We are also encouraging fishermen to report any tagged fish that are captured.  In addition to the tag code, each tag includes a phone number to call and report all tagged fish captured.  When reporting the capture of a tagged fish, include reporting where and when the fish was caught, the tag color and number, and the size of the fish (length or weight).  For all fish tagged and reported, we will provide the fishermen with information on their fish, and will provide a small reward to thank them for their participation in this program.  The real reward, however, is the information gained about Nassau grouper, which will be used to assess stocks in The Bahamas.