Tag team nets vital information
A GOLDEN snapper tagging program was initiated in 2010 to provide important information on harvest rates, stock structure and their movement patterns from inshore to offshore as they mature.
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A GOLDEN snapper tagging program was initiated in 2010 to provide important information on harvest rates, stock structure and their movement patterns from inshore to offshore as they mature.
The project primarily focuses on tagging juvenile snapper in shallow waters less than 10m deep using circle hooks to ensure good survival rates and minimise the effects of barotrauma.
To date a total of 3047 golden snapper have been tagged, with 1512 tagged in Darwin Harbour and 724 in Bynoe Harbour. The remainder have been tagged in other recreationally important areas such as the Tiwi Islands, and the mouths of the South Alligator and McArthur rivers.
Of the fish tagged, there have been 264 recaptures (8.6 per cent of all tagged fish), most in the original tagging location. The high recapture rate indicates that once juvenile golden snapper settle on a reef they rarely seem to move far until they begin to reach maturity.
This aggregating trait also highlights the vulnerability of the species to overfishing before reaching sexual maturity.
While it is well established that juvenile snapper move offshore when they mature, subsequent recaptures on offshore reefs will provide vital information on their movements and the connectivity between nursery areas such as Darwin Harbour and known aggregation sites such as Lorna Shoals.
Fishers that recapture tagged fish are asked to record and report the tag colour and number, species of fish, date and location of the catch, measurement of total length, whether the fish was released alive or kept, and their personal details.
Tagged fish that are released should be released with the tag intact so they can continue to provide valuable information on how to sustainably manage our fisheries.
Recapture details should be reported to AFANT. Phone 1800 456 410. Prizes are available for all reports of tag recaptures.
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