Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fisherman's Association

• Tagging
  Programs
   
• Spiny Dogfish
   
   
• West Georges Bank
  Cod Habitat Study
   
• Cod Mortality
  Study
   
• Haddock SAP
  Demonstration Project
   

Cod Tagging: Northeast Regional Cod Tagging Program

 

Caught a haddock or cod with a tag?

 

Report your recaptures by:
1. Calling the toll-free number: 1-866-447-2111
2. Emailing: tagging@gmri.org

 

Be ready to report the following info:

-Tag Number

-Fish length

-Location

-Water depth and temperature

-Gear used

-Data and time

-Fish fate (kept or discarded)

-Spawning condition, if noted.

If you kept the fish, the tag should be removed from the fish and mailed to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute at 350 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101.

______________________________________________________

The Northeast Regional Cod Tagging Program began in late 2002 and represents the largest cod tagging program initiated to date along the eastern seaboard of the North American continent. CCCHFA conducted three years of cod tagging efforts as part of the program. Contracted with the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Cooperative Research Partner’s Program, CCCHFA worked with Cape Cod’s hook and line fleet to deploy over 60,000 mark recapture research tags in Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua) in area waters. Commercial fishermen across New England tagged some 115,000 cod for the program in conjunction with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, The School for Marine Science and Technology at The University of Massachusetts, The Maine Department of Marine Resources, The Island Institute, The Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, and the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Gulf of Maine Research Institute was the coordinating body for the overall project and acted as a central clearinghouse for data, outreach, and returns.

Study Goals

The regional tagging effort was aimed at filling in geographical gaps not addressed in previous mark and release studies, and providing fresh insights into the movement and distribution of cod in New England and neighboring Canadian waters. A database was which is accessible to all stakeholders, with an online GIS mapping interface with near real time data presentation capacity. The database has been used to identify and develop testable hypotheses for continuing tagging studies. Most importantly, this project successfully launched a large scale pioneering effort to foster an increased role for commercial fleets in the science which is so critical to their future. The Northeast Regional Cod Tagging Program seeks to build bridges of communication between fishermen, scientists and fishery managers. After three years of tagging operations, CCCHFA and program partners turned our attention to data analysis as well as continued public outreach and education.

Conducting the Research

Over one hundred vessels throughout New England participated in tagging operations using longline, otter trawl, hook and line, gillnet, trap and lobster gear. Both commercial and recreational vessels contributed at a split of approximately 66% commercial and 34% recreational. Fishermen and scientists acted as tagging technicians, with the majority being fishermen. The bulk of the tags in our local effort were deployed by Chatham and Harwich hook fishermen during more than 402 dedicated research trips at sea using rod and reel. Other interested parties were provided the opportunity to integrate smaller scale tagging efforts into 309 days of non-dedicated charter, trap and lobster trips. Overall, the Hook distributed over $750,000 in tagging revenues to over 100 local fishermen.

Data recorded at the time of tagging included the Tag#, fish length, location, water temperature, depth, spawning condition, date and time. Tags were yellow T-Bar anchor type, commonly known as a “spaghetti tag,” and were inserted next to the first dorsal fin using an Avery Dennison tagging gun. The tag was basically the same as that used to price clothing, and the gun was actually a modified and improved “haberdashers” gun. Codfish were carefully removed from the hook, held temporarily in a live well, gently tagged and returned to the water unharmed. Our dedicated trips, typically 10-14 hours long, averaged 115 fish tagged thus far, with a one day high of 429 by the FV Arlie X on May 20, 2004.

The hook fleet’s efficiency, skill, ideas and teamwork was especially impressive. The fishermen brought important input to the project, both in design and implementation, through suggestions on logistics, administration, tackle, live wells and the direction of effort. The fishermen were excited to be participating. They often spoke of the satisfaction they derived from releasing the fish; they felt they are “giving something back” to the industry and the fish population. One said, “This is the first thing I have been psyched about on the water in years.” CCCHFA and our program partners were also greatly appreciative of all the fleet’s hard work.

Recaptured Tagged Cod

To date, about 6,750 tagged cod have been recaptured and reported. Over 2,500 of the 60,234 cod tagged by Hook contracted vessels have been recaptured and reported. Despite the conclusion of tagging efforts in July, 2005, tagged cod will continue to be caught for upwards of 5 years. The community as a whole should be aware of the tag deployments, and keep a sharp eye out for marked fish. At the time of recapture, the CCCHFA and our partners ask that fishermen record the same information that is collected upon release: tag #, fish length, gear used, location, depth, water temperature, time, date and spawning condition. We also encourage the collection of information on the overall condition of the fish and the condition of the tag site. The tags are marked with the project name, a website address and a toll-free telephone number for easy reporting. Take should be removed from the fish and mailed to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute at 350 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101. Fishermen are also able to follow the movements of any tagged codfish they find on the website: www.codresearch.org, and receive a report about the fish’s movements, a gift and entrance into a monthly-drawn lottery with a $100 cash prize.

View the Final Report in Adobe reader.

Haddock Tagging

With grant support from the Northeast Consortium, CCCHFA carefully developed a tagging program for Atlantic haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). Northeast Consortium Cooperative Haddock Tagging pooled the resources of CCCHFA, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 20 benthic longline vessels and 15 fishermen trained and acting as tagging technicians. CCCHFA was the central coordinating body, while GMRI will use the infrastructure developed for the Northeast Regional Cod Tagging Program to manage tag deployment and return data, tag returns and reward distribution.

Study Goals

By tagging, releasing and recapturing haddock, this project tested existing assumptions about the spatial distribution of the stocks in New England Waters. We continue to be particularly interested in the movement of haddock within and between closed areas and between eastern and western Georges Bank. While many fishermen, scientists and managers have pointed to year-round area closures as contributing to the recent promising news of a haddock population boom, we have scant information to determine the accuracy of this hypothesis. As haddock movement rates in New England waters have not been studied since the 1950s, we do not know the interchange rates between Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock stocks and between eastern and western Georges Bank haddock substocks. Such pertinent information could effect stock assessments and management decisions. The program also sought to generate supplemental income for fishermen and create a formal mechanism for their contribution to the science that affects their livelihoods.

Conducting the Research

The project was a two year effort to tag at least 20,000 haddock using longline gear. Haddock were tagged on dedicated and non-dedicated fishing trips to open and closed areas within Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine. In order to obtain the best data possible and maximize fish survival, all tagging trips were staffed with qualified tagging technicians trained by CCCHFA and using a highly standardized protocol. The haddock were tagged with green T-bar tags using a standard meat tagging gun. Tagging operations are similar to that for the Northeast Regional Cod Tagging Program and technicians record tag #, fish length, location, water depth and temperature, spawning condition, and date and time.

March 2005 marked the start of tagging operations; over 500 haddock were tagged on two dedicated trips to Closed Area I to ensure that some spawning fish were tagged in the first year of the project. Tagging began in earnest in July 2005 and ended in 2007.

Recaptured Tagged Haddock

The first recapture was reported on May 12, 2005 by a National Marine Fisheries Service observer after being caught on Little Georges Bank, east of Closed Area I.
Upon recapture, we ask that some basic information be recorded: Tag#, fish length, location, water depth and temperature, gear used, spawning condition, date and time, and fish fate (landed or discarded). We also encourage the collection of information on the overall condition of the fish and the condition of the tag site. The tags are marked with the project name, a website address and a toll-free telephone number for easy reporting.

To Report a Recapture

Recaptures can be reported by:
1. Calling the toll-free number: 1-866-447-2111
2. Emailing: tagging@gmri.org

Tags should be removed from the fish and mailed to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute at 350 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101.

To Track a Tagged Haddock:

With the online GIS mapping interface, fishermen are also able to track the movement of an individual recaptured tagged haddock and to summarize information on multiple tagged haddock. To go to the GIS mapping interface, click here.

Rewards:

Each fisherman fully reporting a tagged haddock will receive via mail a program scratch ticket with cash prizes up to $500. The scratch tickets have been designed and developed by CCCHFA to offer a high rate of rewards – overall odds of winning are better than 1 in 4 – and to obtain a high reporting rate of recaptures.