What is the 082 TAG FISH Project?

 This is a dedicated fish tagging project administered by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) in Grahamstown. The broad objectives of this project are very similar to the ORI Fish Tagging Project; however, emphasis is placed on obtaining high resolution movement data. Fish are tagged with conventional D-Type tags that are inscribed with a unique tag number (e.g. W 1027) and a cell phone number (082 824 4374 / 082 TAG FISH).

A GPS co-ordinate is recorded at the release site of each tagged fish and upon subsequent recapture the angler is questioned on its length and the exact location of where the fish was caught. Emphasis is also placed on tagging fish at dedicated study sites that include several estuaries (e.g. Swartkops and Sundays) and coastal areas (e.g. Woody Cape) in Algoa Bay. The distinct advantage of this project is that it allows researchers to examine, firstly, the fine scale estuarine movements of important fishery species that utilise these habitats as nursery areas and, secondly, the dispersal of tagged fish from their nursery areas. Data on the fine scale movements are then complimented by the brilliant long-term data on coastal movements obtained from the ORI tagging project.

 In addition to the conventional D-Type tags, the 082 TAG FISH Project makes use of acoustic telemetry methods to track the real time movements and space use patterns of fish tagged with sonic transmitters. The telemetry studies also focus on estuarine associated species and, to date, the 082 TAG FISH Project has conducted detailed studies on spotted grunter, dusky kob and white steenbras in several estuaries.