Cooperative Yellowtail Tagging
Program Manager: David Martins

The catch is deposited on a wet deck, the yellowtail sorted out and placed into a holding tank, and the remainder of the catch is returned to the sea.

1. The fish to be tagged is measured (total length, cm) and the sex determined. A scale sample is collected from selected fish.
2. To tag the fish the lateral line on the blind side of the fish is located. A nickle pin with a blank pink backing disk is placed just above the arch of the lateral line and inserted through the fish perpendicular to the fish’s body surface.
3. A second pink disk containing the tag number and return information is placed on the pin on the eyed side of the fish.
4. The pin is trimmed about 2 cm from the fish using needle-nosed pliers.
5. The top 3 mm of the pin is bent into a tight U-Shaped crimp.
6. The U-shaped crimp is then bent perpendicular to the post of the pin (parallel to the fish’s body).
7. Sufficient space is left between the crimp and the fish (3-4 mm) to allow room for the fish to grow.
8. Data storage tags are attached using a similar method but with two pins.

The fish is then released.