A New Angle on Tracking Fish

Anglers in Florida are doing more than just catch and release. Many sport fishers are taking part in a scientific study to determine whether the tarpon fish are holding up to angling pressure, or becoming over-fished. The Suncoast Tarpon Roundup is conducting the study. The organization asks anglers to take DNA scrapings from a tarpon’s jaw to add it to the registry and determine the lifespan of each of the silver fish. According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times, only 11 of 82 fish tagged between 2002 and 2007 died; and most of those deaths were attributed to shark attack. The registry currently tracks more than 2,251,250 tarpon and aims to tag 3,000 more in 2010 with the help of anglers and fishing enthusiasts in the area.

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