Media Release

Nelson 03 May 2012

Kingfish Tagging Programme Result

After nearly two years in operation, The Fishing Paper Top of the South Kingfish Tagging Programme, has recorded its first result.

A fish, tagged near d’Urville Island in June of 2011, has been recaptured in a commercial fishing set net, off the Otago coast.

The 100 centimetre kingfish was caught, tagged and released by Nelson recreational fisher Peter Connolly, who has supported the tagging programme since its inception in August 2010. Since then more than 300 fish from the Top of the South have been tagged by enthusiastic recreational fishers.

The Fishing Paper Editor, Daryl Crimp, says the recaptured fish is the southern most tagged kingfish ever to have been caught. It had travelled 366 nautical miles in 242 days and grown seven centimetres in length during its journey.

“It has long been suspected some of these fish are migratory; this confirms that belief but I am surprised at the incredible distance it travelled. This first catch is already significant, providing scientific researchers valuable information about kingfish behaviour, distribution and movements, so it validates the efforts of those supporting our programme.”

He said it also dispels the urban myth that the programme is harmful. Some people were worried that because tags hadn’t been returned, fish were dying, which is clearly not the case.

“It suggests we need to increase the intensity of the programme and encourage more fishers to take up tagging. This is a positive long-term initiative.”

He said, recreational fishers also can learn from the tagging programme; namely, that fish aren’t always where you’d expect them, so it’s worth prospecting other areas.

Crimpy says, it’s great to finally see the first result for the hard work put in by dozens of volunteer recreational fishers, who have enthusiastically embraced the tagging project.

“The Fishing Paper took the lead in introducing and paying for the tagging programme, after recognising the newly rediscovered Top of the South kingfish fishery was one of national significance and possibly one the best in the country, providing spectacular sport for fishers.”

Background.

The national gamefish tagging programme is a cooperative project between the Ministry of Fisheries, the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council, its affiliated clubs and anglers, commercial fishers and the current fisheries research provider, Blue Water Marine Research Ltd.

There have been more than 16,000 kingfish tagged and released in New Zealand since the programme started in 1975. Most of them have been released in east Northland and the Bay of Plenty. There have been 1,200 recaptures reported, a recapture rate of 7.5%.

Cooperative tagging programmes provide information on the size and distribution of fish released by recreational fishers. Recaptures provide information on distance and direction of movement; time at liberty, and in some circumstances growth rates of the fish involved.

It’ll provide marine scientists a huge insight into the dynamics of kingfish and provide local anglers a better picture of how our local fishery works.

ends