Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program: 16 Years of Fisheries Data and Angler Involvement in Management

Angler-assisted tagging of recreationally important finfish has taken place since 1995 under the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program.  A cooperative effort between the Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), the program’s funding is from state saltwater license funds and VIMS.  The program’s main objectives are: 1. to train and maintain a group of experienced anglers in effective tagging and catch and release techniques and 2. use angler-collected data to learn more about life history patterns of selected recreationally important marine fish.  As of February 2011, >172,000 fish from 11 different species were tagged and ~10% (n≥17,000) of these fish have been recaptured.  These data provided fish movement and site-fidelity patterns of fish captured and released in Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coastal waters.  VGFTP data have also provided an alternative source of information for marine fisheries management.