 TagTimes
December 2016
Wishing all readers a safe and merry festive season!
Welcome to the latest edition of Tag Times
This newsletter has the latest information on interesting movements of tagged fish as well as program updates. If you don’t want to receive this information please click unsubscribe at the bottom of the email.
Season Summary
The 2015/16 season has been another exciting season for the program, with over 11,400 tag returns and 170 fish reported as being recaptured. The season saw a number of consistent short distance recaptures as well as some interesting long distance movements from billfish, sharks & pelagic species.
Below is a map of all tag returns of released fish for the 15/16 season under the program.
The top taggers of the program for the 15/16 season has been published and can be accessed by following the below link.
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/saltwater/gamefish-tagging/taggers
Congratulations to our award winners who took out top tagging categories for the 15/16 season. In particular the three boats pictured below, which tagged and released the most tuna, billfish and sharks for the season respectively.
NSW DPI would like to thank all those involved in the program and values the continuing support of all anglers involved. Here is hoping for a great 16/17 game fishing season.
Third Time and Growing
A yellowtail kingfish tagged and released in Port Hacking, NSW by John Taylforth on 1 October 2015 has recently been reported as recaptured…for the second time. The 70cm fish was tagged, measured and let go in excellent condition by John only to be recaptured 45 days later in the Hacking by Brendan Findlay who was casting lures from the shore, Brendan estimated the fish at 70cm, let the fish go and reported the recapture to DPI Fisheries. 396 days on, Andrew Talbot also fishing in the Hacking has recaptured the same fish, this time much larger in size. The kingfish measured in at 95.5cm and, after a few photos, was let go in excellent condition with the original tag in place to potentially be recaptured by another lucky angler.
South Australia to Sydney
 A yellowtail kingfish caught and tagged from the shore at Port Augusta, South Australia, on 6 September 2014 by Anthony Everett, has recently been recaptured off Bluefish Point, Sydney. After having spent 810 days at liberty the kingfish had swum at least 680 nautical miles (1265 km) following around the south and east coast of Australia and grown from 118cm to 130cm fork length. The fish measured in at 141cm total length and weighed 22.5kg. Joel Menzies speared the huge kingfish whilst fishing with a friend off Manly. Joel spotted the big kingfish whilst his dive buddy was wrangling an 18kg fish in a school of approximately 10 fish. Interestingly a boat was not needed by both release and recapture anglers!
Of the 36,186 kingfish tagged under the program 2,370 have been recaptured. This is the eighth and largest South Australian kingfish to be recaptured on the east coast of Australia and is the second one to be reported this year. The first fish swimming all the way from Port Augusta, SA to Jumpinpin, QLD.
Gold Coast Blue Marlin
A blue marlin tagged by Newcastle & Port Stephens GFC boat, Lost In Space, on 25 April 2016 whilst fishing a great blue marlin bite off Forster has recently been recaptured.
The marlin was recaptured by Gold Coast GFC boat Grinner on 25 September 2016 whilst fishing wide off the Gold Coast on the popular Riviera Grounds. The fish was estimated at 140kg and was released once again after spending 5 months at liberty and travelling 272 nautical miles (504 km) in a North-east direction.
Photo: Hamish Cathie
Reporting Recaptures
If you do happen to catch a tagged fish be sure to report it either over the phone on (02) 44247423 or online by using the online recapture form linked below.
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/resources/fish-tagging/game-fish-tagging/gamefish-recapture
Each recapture provides vital information which is essential to improve the understanding and management of valuable game fish and sport fish species. Details of the distance that the fish travelled and its growth are sent to the anglers who first tagged the fish and the anglers who recaptured it. A recapture certificate is also issued, along with a small reward for those really exciting recaptures!
The NSW DPI Game Fish Tagging Program issues tags free of charge and works in close association with the NSW Game Fishing Assoc, the Game Fishing Assoc of Aust and the ANSA (NSW Branch). The program is run using funds from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust. Over 445,000 fish have been tagged under the program so far. If you would like to get involved in the program please phone (02) 4424 7423 or email gamefish.tagging@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
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