Tagging Our Catch: Helping Scientists Learn More About Gamefish
Every fish we tag can help tell a bigger story
Fishing isn’t just about the thrill of the strike, the scream of the reel or the excitement of seeing a beautiful fish beside the boat. For gamefishers, every catch can also be an opportunity to help scientists learn more about the fish we love.
The Game Fish Tagging Program was established in the 1970s to give recreational anglers — particularly game fishers — the chance to contribute valuable research data while enjoying their time on the water.
The program has been running since 1973 and has become an important source of information about game and sportfish. More than 515,000 fish have been tagged, with over 10,000 recaptures providing researchers with valuable information about where fish travel, how quickly they grow, how long they live and how populations are changing.
What happens when a fish is tagged?
When a suitable fish is caught and released, trained anglers can attach a specialised tag before returning the fish to the water.
If that fish is caught again in the future, its tag can provide scientists with a fascinating piece of the puzzle — helping track its movement, growth, distribution and survival.
It means that a fish released today could potentially provide useful information months or even years later.
Different tags for different fish
The program uses several types of tags, including:
Nylon-headed, single-barbed tags
Stainless-steel-headed tags with plastic streamers
Special multi-barbed nylon-headed tags for billfish
Each tag is designed for a particular application and helps researchers identify and track individual fish.
Turning fishing trips into valuable research
Gamefishers are in a unique position to contribute to research because catch-and-release fishing provides opportunities to tag and release fish that might otherwise never be recorded.
Rather than simply being a memorable catch, a tagged fish becomes part of a much bigger story — one that helps scientists better understand the incredible gamefish that inhabit our oceans.
For anglers, it’s a simple way to give something back to the fishery we enjoy.
Fish. Tag. Release. Learn.
At the Whitsunday Game Fish Club, we’re proud to support responsible fishing and the important role recreational anglers can play in understanding and protecting our gamefish.
The next time you see a tag go into a fish before it swims away, remember: that little tag could help scientists follow the journey of a fish long after it disappears beneath the surface.
Every tag tells a story. And every recapture adds another chapter.
Key species tagged during 2024/2025
The 2024/2025 game fishing season ended on June 30, 2025 and resulted in 10,892 fish tagged across all states.
The top ten species tagged are given in the table below.
Key species tagged 2024/2025
| Species | Number tagged |
|---|---|
| STRIPED MARLIN | 2450 |
| SAILFISH | 1500 |
| YELLOWTAIL KINGFISH | 1154 |
| BLACK MARLIN | 1094 |
| BLUE MARLIN | 691 |
| SOUTHERN BLUEFIN TUNA | 676 |
| MULLOWAY | 586 |
| DOLPHINFISH | 318 |
| SNAPPER | 247 |
| WHALER SHARK | 239 |
WGFC Tags and Tag Cards
The WGFC is issued Billfish Tags and Cards from the QGFA and Pelagic Tags and Cards directly from the NSW DPI.
Tag Cards issued by the WGFC need to be returned to either the WGFC Weighmaster or can be dropped off at Tackle World Airlie Beach with your activity sheets.
Accurate information on Tag Cards is vital to research. Incomplete tag cards can result in points not being allocated for Monthly/Quarterly and Yearly points scoring for the WGFC, QGFA and GFAA.
If you are issued tags and choose to no longer participate in the Tagging of fish with the WGFC we request that tags are returned so we can manage stock levels.
Below is an information pack about the requirements for Tagging fish, the use of Activity books and the requirements for GameBase.
For more information about the NSW DPI Tagging Program click the link below
For more information about the GFAA Tagging requirements click the link below
