Welcome to DMR’s Cod Tagging Website
Fish Illustration by: Roz
Davis Designs, Damariscotta, ME (207) 563-2286
This site provides information on the background and objectives of the
Maine
Department of Marine Resources (DMR)'s cod tagging program that began in 2003.
You will find information on how cod are tagged, what do
if you have caught a tagged cod, and updated information on the
progress of the project. Tagging operations were completed in 2005 but fishermen are requested to continue reporting tagged fish.
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Alert:
Commercial and recreational fishermen
are asked to be on the lookout for tagged cod. If you catch and
report a tagged cod, you will receive a
reward. Blue high-reward tags may qualify for a $100 reward!
Please
select
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About the program
In 2003
DMR along with several other organizations located between the
Canadian Maritimes and southern New England initiated a region-wide tagging
study of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).
The
DMR Cod Tagging Program is part of a major initiative known as the Northeast
Regional Cod Tagging Program (NRCTP).
NRCTP is aimed at investigating
movement and growth of cod throughout the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, southern
New England and Canadian Maritime waters. Over 114,000 cod were tagged during 2003-05 as part of NRCTP. This project was funded by the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS),
Cooperative Research Partners Program (CRPP).
 
Locations of DMR tagged cod releases (yellow squares) and recaptures (red dots), as of 8/17/06.
Select the left map to go http://www.gmamapping.org/codmapping/
Select the right map for a larger view, showing which recapture came from which release
DMR collaborated with the
Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI),
the
Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), and the commercial
fishing industry to conduct tagging in the Gulf of Maine region. Our primary
tagging locations were: Cashes Ledge, Fippennies Ledge, Platts Bank, northern
Jeffreys Ledge/Bigelow Bight, Mt. Desert Island out to the Hague Line, the outer
Bay of Fundy as well as a number of nearshore locations.
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Sorting catch aboard F/V Adventurer. |
Thirteen (13) commercial fishing vessels (primarily trawlers) were used by
DMR
as platforms for
capturing, tagging and releasing cod. All healthy cod of at least 14 in.
(preferably 17 in.) total length that we are able to capture are tagged and
released. During 2003-05, DMR tagged and released 23,773 cod. In addition, our
DFO
partners tagged just under 7,000
cod in 2003-04. |
Photo by Shelly Tallack, GMRI
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How cod are tagged
Contracted commercial vessels undertake directed tagging trips in order to
obtain cod for tagging. A short (15-30 minute) tow is made, and the trawl
is hauled back as slowly as possible in order to minimize physiologically
detrimental pressure changes as fish are brought up. The catch is either
emptied directly into a live well, or transferred from the deck to the live
well as quickly as possible. Cod are removed individually from the live
well, and placed on a measuring board.
After the fish has been measured, a yellow T-bar
anchor tag is inserted just below the first dorsal fin using a tagging gun.
The fish is then immediately released (unless the fish appears weak where it
may be returned to the live well for observation). This technique has been
proven as a cost-effective and efficient means of tagging large numbers of
fish.
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Catch being emptied into live well aboard F/V
Theresa and Allyson (above).
Cod in live well aboard CCGS J.L. Hart
(below). |
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Photo by
Shelly Tallack, GMRI |
select for larger image |
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Measuring board
set-up with tagging gun to left (above). |
select for larger image |
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Tag placement below first dorsal fin (above).
(photo by
Shelly Tallack, GMRI) |
select for larger image |
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Tagged cod being
released from CCGS J.L. Hart
(above)
(photo by Shelly Tallack, GMRI) |
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Participating vessels
Some of the vessels that participated in the
DMR cod
tagging project were: … select picture for larger
view
F/V Adventurer |
F/V Elizabeth |
F/V Jocka |
F/V Leslie Ann |
F/V Robert Michael |
F/V Theresa & Allyson |
F/V Titan |
News and updates
- Select for updates
Links to other Northeast Regional Cod
Tagging Program organizations:
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