Large Scale Sportfish Tagging Programs : Pros and Cons

Abstract

Tagging of fish by fishery participants, both recreational and commercial, is a popular activity. It gives the fisher a sense of participation in a scientific activity which will add to knowledge about their target species. The best known examples of this activity are so-called cooperative tagging programs through which recreational anglers (and sometimes, commercial operators) tag and release fish as part of a broad scale, long term undertaking. There are many such programs in operation around the world, some of which are very large, and have been in operation for several decades....