Top Tag Brief

Introduction

The Australian National Sportfishing Association (ANSA) conducts a National Sportfish Tagging Program, known as Austag. Austag has participating ANSA members in all states of Australia. The program in the Northern Territory is known as Top Tag. Top Tag is largely project based, with projects on specific species being conducted in a variety of locations throughout the Territory.

Species that are on the Top Tag priority list include;
Mackerel - Spanish, Queensland School and Spotted.
Mangrove Jack,
Giant Trevally,
Fingermark (Golden Snapper) and
Black Jewfish.

An ANSA Tagging Research Program is currently under way in Leaders Creek. This is the third year of the project that hopes to capture data on growth and movement of juvenile Black Jewfish. Although Black Jewfish are the primary species in this project other species such as Fingermark (Golden Snapper), Threadfin (Salmon) and Barramundi are also being tagged.

Other areas in which tagging has been concentrated include:
Darwin Harbour: Primary species tagged to date are - Giant Trevally, Fingermark, Black Jewfish and Barramundi.

Peron Islands: Primary species tagged is Black Jewfish off Channel Point.

Bynoe Harbour: Primary species tagged are Mangrove Jack, Fingermark, Black Jewfish, Giant Trevally and Threadfin. Areas of concentration are Vigilant Inlet, Tarrant Inlet and in the harbours deeper holes.

Other Areas: Species from the priority list are being tagged throughout the Darwin area.

Procedure If a Tagged Fish is Captured

Each ANSA yellow tag has recorded on it a registered number, telephone number and other information required on recapture. Often the yellow tag is over grown with algae and is difficult to read.

On recapture of a tagged fish the angler should record the following:

Tag Number
Species
Location
Length
Date
If the fish was kept or released.

The information can then be phoned through to 1800 653 365 or passed to any of the Branch Executive, who inturn will ensure the Tagging Coordinator receives the information.

All reported recaptures receive an ANSA Austag Certificate which details all the information that pertains to the fish, along with an "I caught a tagged fish" stubby cooler.

Detailed at figure 1 is where you can expect to find the yellow ANSA tag.

Figure 1: Where you can expect to find an ANSA tag.

Measuring Fish

Correct measuring of fish is important if the data is to be used to determine growth. The fish should be placed on a measuring device with the snout of the fish touching an "L" shaped butt as shown in figure 4. For fork tailed fish 2 measurements should be taken as shown in figure 2. These are:

• LOA or Length Overall (tip of snout to tip of the tail)
• LCF or Length Caudal Fork (tip of snout to inside fork of the tail)

Figure 2: Lengths to be measured for fork tailed fish

Figure 3: Measuring a fish on a roll out measurer

Although it is preferred that tagged fish are released so that data can continue to be collected from future captures, it is not necessary and they can be kept.