New Tarpon Tagging Program
Want to tag Tarpon?

There is little known about tarpon population and fishery dynamics, stock spatial distribution, spawning migrations or movements between fishing areas, despite the importance of this species as a premier game fish. In addition, information on the spatial ecology of tarpon is particularly sparse, and could help to fill important knowledge gaps for management. A lack of this kind of vital information hinders development of management practices to ensure sustainability of their fisheries.

In addition to our PAT tagging program (Satelite Tags) we are starting a new tarpon research program in South Florida using anchor tags to evaluate and quantify tarpon movements and aspects of population dynamics

Volunteers will received a tagging kit with specific tags for tarpon, a document containing tagging instructions and guidelines, mechanical pencils, and a waterproof data sheet. After volunteers caught a tarpon using hook-and-line gear, they used the tag-stick to insert a relatively thin, high-grade polymer plastic T-bar tag (Figure 1 , please note that this tag is different than the bonefish tag) into an “anchored” position between the dorsal musculature and bone structures of the fish. At the time you tag a tarpon please record the date, location, fork/total lentgh and girth length (Figure 2). You can mail us the data to the address below or send it to us via our online taggging report.

 

Figure 1: Tarpon tagging stick and tag. ___________________Figure 2: Record date, location, forkl lentgh and girth.

 

If you or anyone you know are interested in participating in the Anchor Tag Tarpon research program, please contact us: