Ski-Boat Magazine

Tag: ORI

CITIZEN SCIENCE AT ITS BEST

Impact of the ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project

By Gareth Jordaan and Bruce Mann

[Originally published in the July 2023 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine]

ONE of the earliest fish tagging projects started in the mid-1800s when Atlantic salmon were tagged by means of fin clips and by attaching pieces of wire to their tails and jaws with unique labels.
Closer to home, many tagging projects have been initiated in South Africa, but few yielded tangible results, with much of the data being unpublished or unused. During the 1970s, ORI’s Rudy van der Elst recognised the value of fish tagging information and involving the angling public in the collection of such data, subsequently establishing the ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project (ORI-CFTP).
The project was formally started in 1984, with the aim of enlisting active angler support in tagging specific marine fish species around the entire southern African coastline. Still in operation over 38 years later, this project has become one of the longest ongoing operational citizen science projects of its kind in Africa.

Graham Pollard and his son, Aiden, with a tagged giant kingfish nearly ready for release.

Over the years, different types of tags have been used and these have gradually been improved, as have the tagging methods. Today, the main types of tags used in the project are dart or “spaghetti tags” supplied by Hallprint in Australia.
Technology has also vastly improved over the years, allowing for easier reporting and collection of data, and for the data to be housed on a large online database, rather than hand-written and recorded into a logbook, as was done in the early days of the project.
As an added bonus, the project has also been able to improve the methods of fishing and fish handling used by tagging members. From the types of hooks used (we suggest using barbless circle hooks rather than barbed J-hooks or treble hooks), to the way fish are landed and handled fish (using a wet cloth over the eyes, landing the fish on a stretcher or using a knotless landing net, and keeping the fish in fresh seawater as much as possible), to methods of safely releasing fish, especially those caught in deep water and suffering from barotrauma, the project has helped change anglers’ thinking and methods.
Over the 38-year duration of the project, a veritable goldmine of data has been collected which has led to some incredible results and achievements. Over 7 000 anglers have joined the project, with some of the original members still remaining active to this day, including Bruce Mann, Charles Lilford, Derick Stemmet, John Rance, Nic de Kock and Riekert van Heerden.
It has been very encouraging to see how the ORI-CFTP has gained popularity more recently, with more anglers becoming aware of fish tagging and wanting to join the project. Currently there are about 483 active members (anglers who tag at least one fish in a year) and an average of 183 new members who join each year. 2021 was a record year for the project with more than 380 new members joining.
With more anglers joining the project, more fish are being tagged each year. On average there are about 9 613 fish tagged each year. Since the start of the project an incredible 374 897 fish have been tagged and released.
Although the total number of fish tagged is impressive, the number of tagged fish recaptured is even more important, as it is the recapture data that allows scientists to calculate things like fish growth rates and movements patterns.
We continually remind our tagging members that it is not about the number of fish they tag, but rather the importance of the species they tag (based on our priority species list), the manner in which they catch, handle and tag their fish, and the frequency with which tagged fish are recaptured.
Overall, there have been more than 23 600 tag recaptures (about 6.3%) since the start of the ORI-CFTP, with an average of 605 tag recaptures each year. Importantly, the recapture percentage has continued to increase over the years, suggesting that, besides there being more tagged fish in the ocean increasing the chances of catching a tagged fish, members are catching, handling, landing and tagging their fish in a more responsible manner. It is also possible that there has been an improvement in the reporting of recaptured tagged fish.
Over the years we have had some incredible recaptures reported to us, such as a raggedtooth shark that was at liberty for more than 26 years, a red steenbras that was at liberty for more than 25 years and a Roman that was at liberty for more than 22 years.
The Roman recapture is a prime example of just how useful tag and release projects can be. Roman were originally thought to live to a maximum age of 19 years, based on counting growth rings in sectioned otoliths, however, when this Roman was recaptured after 22 years at liberty, it proved that they can live longer than that.
This recapture also highlighted how slow growing this species is, with the fish having grown only about 20cm in just over 22 years. The fish was recaptured in the exact same spot that it was originally tagged, proving again how resident Roman are.

It’s even more exciting when recaptures are reported to us further afield than South African waters. For example, a yellowfin tuna originally tagged off Cape Town was recaptured in Seychelles, and a black marlin that was tagged off Sodwana was recaptured in Tanzanian waters.
Members of the ORI-CFTP originally tagged fish all along the entire southern African coastline, from Namibia to Mozambique. However, in the late 1990s the Namibian authorities asked ORI tagging members to stop tagging fish in Namibian waters as they were starting their own national tagging project. Similarly, the Mozambican fisheries authorities have requested that only migratory gamefish species be tagged by ORI tagging members in Mozambique waters.
In South Africa, the Western Cape has the most tag releases and recaptures, followed by the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Several scientific fish tagging and monitoring projects around our coastline — particularly in some of our marine protected areas (MPAs) such as DeHoop, Tsitsikamma, Pondoland, Dwesa/Cwebe and iSimangaliso — have also contributed significantly to the number of fish tagged and recaptured.
These projects have also played an important role in improving our understanding of the movement patterns of various linefish species and have shown just how important our MPAs are in helping to conserve many of our more resident linefish species. They have also proved that healthy fish populations within MPAs can spill over into adjacent fished areas, thus helping to ensure sustainable fishing.
Overall, 375 different species have been tagged in the ORI-CFTP. The galjoen (South Africa’s national fish) has the greatest number of tag releases, with over 72 000 having been tagged since 1984, and more than 5 300 recaptures (making up 21% of the total recaptures overall).
Gathering tagging data on so many different fish species over such a long time has allowed us to make this information available to numerous scientists and students who have used it in their research projects and theses. This has also resulted in many scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals which are critical to improving fisheries policy and management.
For example, some recent scientific publications have looked at the movement patterns and growth rates of various linefish species such as the critically endangered giant sandsharks, cavebass, catface rockcod and Scotsman.
The data collected by the ORI-CFTP has provided important baseline data for movement studies on numerous fish species. Using conventional external dart tags, you know where the fish is when you tag it, and you know where it is if you recapture it, but you have little idea where it has gone during its time at liberty.
Excitingly, this gap in our knowledge can now be filled using more sophisticated methods of tagging such as acoustic telemetry and satellite tagging (see https://saiab.ac.za/platforms/
acoustic-tracking-array-tracking/) which is producing some truly fascinating results.
The recent results from acoustic tagging of giant kingfish (Caranx ignobilis) and their amazing annual spawning migration to southern Mozambique is a fine example and you can read more about this at DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12975 .
In addition to pure fish research, the ORI-CFTP has helped to improve the cooperation between anglers, managers and scientists, and has also helped to change the conservation ethics of marine recreational anglers in South Africa towards catch-and-release fishing.
In 2021, a survey of ORI-CFTP members was conducted with the aim of critically assessing the contribution that the project has had on the marine recreational angling community in South Africa. Some of the comments from this survey are quoted below and show just how much this project means to, and has encouraged, anglers around the country.
“Without any doubt, the concept of tag and release has encouraged the release of more fish.”
“The Tagging Project, more than any other initiative, has engendered a spirit of conservation in South Africa.”
“I joined the Tagging Project during its year of inception, when I was 18 years old. I remain a proud member of the project. I hope to be a member of this project for many years to come.”
To read more about this assessment visit https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2022.2126525
Anglers who’ve joined the project learnt about tag and release, gained a better understanding of the movement patterns and growth rates of many of our linefish species and the value of sustainable fishing, and ultimately contribute towards the improved conservation and management of these species.
We thank all the anglers who have joined the ORI-CFTP over the years and helped this project grow from strength to strength. Without your support and tagging efforts, this great achievement would not have been possible.

For further information follow ORITag on Facebook and Instagram and visit the SAAMBR YouTube channel <https://www.saambr.org.za/ori-tag-release/> to view ORI-CFTP instructional videos.

FURTHER READING…
Daly R, Filmalter JD, Daly CAK, Bennett RH, Pereira MAM, Mann BQ, Dunlop SW, Cowley PD. 2019. Acoustic telemetry reveals multi-seasonal spatiotemporal dynamics of a giant trevally Caranx ignobilis aggregation. Marine Ecology Progress Series 621: 185-197. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12975

Mann BQ, Dalton WN, Jordaan GL, Daly R. 2023. Movement patterns and growth rate of Scotsman Polysteganus praeorbitalis (Family: Sparidae) tagged in the Pondoland Marine Protected Area, Eastern Cape, South Africa. African Zoology 56(1): DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2023.2170717

Mann-Lang JB, Mann BQ, Jordaan GL, Daly R. 2022. Assessment of the impact of participation in the Oceanographic Research Institute’s – Cooperative Fish Tagging Project on angler attitudes and behaviour. African Journal of Marine Science 44(4): 299-309, DOI: 10.2989/1814232X.2022.2126525

19/06/2024
ONE HAND WASHES THE OTHER

(Originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of Ski-Boat)

By Bruce Mann
Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI)

I WAS recently contacted by Nick Nel from the Natal Deep Sea Angling Association who asked whether I thought it would be possible to include seventy-four (Polysteganus undulosus) as a target species in the 2019 Bottomfish Nationals scheduled to be fished from 11 to 16 August off Durban.
As most ski-boat anglers know, seventy-four are on the Prohibited List and may not be caught. However, the moratorium on this species has been in place since 1998 and there are indications that the population is slowly recovering.
In the absence of catch information, scientists need to explore alternative methods to assess the population trend of seventy-four. One novel way of determining whether the population is recovering — without having to kill any fish — is through genetics. A small fin clip (the size of a fingernail) taken from one of the pelvic fins and an accurate measurement of the fish is all that is needed. This can be done on a live fish which is then released back to the sea. Fortunately seventy-four seem to be able to survive the stresses of barotrauma (i.e. pressure change when being brought to the surface) better than some other reef fish species and this enables them to swim back down after being released.
After thinking about Nick’s suggestion I contacted Dr Denham Parker at the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) and asked him whether involvement of ski-boat anglers in the collection of seventy-four genetic samples was a possibility. Denham managed to obtain permission for the 16 boats and anglers competing in the Nationals to collect seventy-four fin clips on condition that best handling practices and fish survival were prioritised.

Back at ORI we made up 16 sampling kits (one for each vessel) containing ten sample bottles filled with 95% ethanol, a tape measure, pencil, labels and pair of scissors, along with a clear instruction brochure explaining how to handle and measure the fish, take a fin clip, release the fish and record the data. These sampling kits were given to the skipper of each vessel at the briefing before the competition.
A sample of at least 50 fish is required to produce results that are statistically significant. While only 11 seventy-four were caught and sampled during the competition, this is a good start and a much-needed, positive collaboration between scientists and anglers.
Chris Wilke, a senior technician from the DEFF, was able to attend some of the weigh-ins in the afternoons and collected the samples that had been taken. Basically, what the geneticists will do is to get an estimate of the genetic variability (heterozygosity) of the population and compare this to a similar estimate that was made based on samples collected by ORI in 2006. An increase in heterozygosity is a good indication of an increasing population. This is particularly true in species that have suffered a population collapse (e.g. seventy-four) as genetic diversity is inherently low due to the relatively few breeding individuals. Similar attempts will be made to collect more fin clips over the next 12 months.

18/02/2020
SA’S NEW COASTAL MPAS

(Originally published in the September 2019 issue of SKI-BOAT)

By Bruce Mann, Senior scientist, Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban

ON 23 May 2019 South Africa declared 20 new or extended marine protected areas (MPAs) in the South African Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This brought spatial protection up from 0.4% to 5% of the EEZ and, while still short of the 10% recommended by the Convention for Biological Diversity’s Aichi Target 11 for 2020, it represents a substantial step forward for marine conservation in South Africa.
Of the 20 new MPAs, nine include shelf habitats on or near to the coast that will directly affect ski-boat anglers. These include iSimangaliso, uThukela, Aliwal, Protea, Amathole, Addo, Agulhas Banks, Robben Island and Namaqua.
Past research in South Africa and elsewhere has shown that large, well enforced, no-take MPAs that include good reef habitat, allow resident reef fish to increase in abundance and size over time.
They also protect healthier, fitter and more fecund fish and facilitate spillover into adjacent fished areas. This is extremely important, especially in the face of climate change, as it allows reef fish populations to have greater resilience and the ability to adapt.
Research in South African MPAs has proved that catches next to an MPA are better, because of spillover. Assuming that the new MPAs can be enforced and that they are respected by ski-boat anglers, they will provide significant protection for targeted linefish species, especially resident, slow-growing and overexploited species.
DISMAY
However, many ski-boat anglers have expressed dismay at the declaration of the new MPAs as they feel that their favourite sport or pastime is being restricted. Let’s have a look at the new MPAs to better understand what they mean for ski-boat angling.
To start off with, we need to understand that virtually all our larger MPAs are zoned for multiple forms of use. Most of the MPAs are zoned separately for inshore (shore-based) and offshore (boat-based) activities. The strange shape of our MPAs is because, where possible, the boundaries were set using lines of latitude or longitude which enables more effective law enforcement. There are three types of zones that affect ski-boat anglers namely a Restricted Zone (a no-take or no fishing zone), a Controlled Pelagic Zone (a zone where pelagic gamefishing is allowed but no bottomfishing), and a Controlled Zone (where both game- and bottomfishing is allowed).
Many stakeholder meetings were held prior to the declaration of the MPAs and ample opportunity was given to stakeholders to submit their comments on the draft MPAs before they were declared. This has enabled many of the legitimate concerns of anglers to be incorporated into the design of the MPAs.
For example, although the iSimangaliso MPA has been increased significantly in size (now SA’s largest MPA), the extension has had relatively little effect on ski-boat anglers as two large Controlled Pelagic Zones (extending approximately 20-40km offshore in the north and 40-60km offshore in the south) are still available for anglers to fish in from the main launch sites at Sodwana, Cape Vidal, St Lucia and Mapelane.

PROTECTION FROM VERY DESTRUCTIVE ACTIVITIES
Some anglers have asked me what the point is of having a Controlled Zone in an MPA if both game- and bottomfishing is allowed. The important point here is that even if recreational fishing is allowed, other activities such as mining, dumping of pollution and in some cases commercial or industrial fishing are prohibited in the MPA. This means that the marine environment within the MPAs is protected from these very destructive activities.
Another aspect that has caused a lot of dissention is the ban on boat-based night fishing in many of our MPAs.
These closures provide greater protection to nocturnally active species such as geelbek and dusky kob which aggregate at night, during which time they are caught in large numbers. Both of these species have sadly been fished down to very low levels and these restrictions are essential if we hope to keep these fisheries going.
I would suggest that every ski-boat angler get a copy of the relevant government gazette declarations of the MPAs in your area and study them carefully so that you understand where you can and cannot fish (see links below). Hopefully, in time, maps will be made available which can be installed on your boats’ GPS to make this much simpler.

ENFORCEMENT
The first reaction by many ski-boat anglers is that the new MPAs are all well and good, but how are “they” going to enforce them? As ski-boat anglers I think that most of us are well aware of the poor state of many of our prime angling fishes; there are simply not as many as there used to be. Similarly, we also know about the lack of capacity in both our national and provincial environmental management agencies.
The bottom line is that unless we as anglers take on custodianship of the new MPAs and adopt a responsible attitude, which includes self-policing, the new MPAs will not have the desired effect and will simply become “paper parks”.
The new MPAs are there to help our linefish stocks recover so that ultimately there will be enough fish for all of us and our future generations. It really is up to us to make them work!
If you would like to know more about our MPAs, have a look at <www.marineprotectedareas.org.za>.
The maps and regulations are available on www.saambr.org.za/marine-protected-areas-mpas/. On facebook, Marine Protected Areas SA has information about our MPAs and more information on linefish can be found at EduOceans-Fun Fishy Facts. I have also appeared in a YouTube video giving specific details of the KZN MPAs <www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTHWE4HkqdY&t=311s>.

30/10/2019