Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-02-28
TAGGED FISHES IN TIE SEA.
Some Things the Government Has
Learned from Fishes That Were
Marked and Came Back.

1t seems rather an odd idea to fasten
metal tags to marine fishes and then
let them loose in the ocean with the
idea of identifying them as individu-
ais in case they happen to be caught
ut a future time; but this is what
The United States fish commission is
doing Just now with cod, 1900 Of
which have been duly tagged and re-
leased this year, says the Washington
Times. No two tags are alike, the
markings on them being stamped in
series of letters and numbers, record
of which is kept in book in such a
manner that if tagged Goldfish turns
up moments reference to the mem
oranda will furnish the history of
that particular specimen, with date
of liberation, weight, and so forth.
For example, a cod wearing a tag
with the raised inscription IS 1907
has a complete identification card, so
that she cannot be mixed up with any
other fish entered in the commits
sion's ledger.
Only brood fish'-that is, spawn
ing females-are tagged. They are
bought from fishermen, stripped of
their eggs at Woods Holl, Mass, and
liberated in the waters of Vineyard
sound, after having the tags attached
to them. The tag is a small piece OF
copper, securely fastened by wire
passed through fin near its juno
ton with the body. 1t does not mat
ter which fin is chosen, though back
or tail fin is best. The tag is very
light, and it's attachment in the man
ner described does no harm whatever
to the animal. During the last few
months the fish commission has dis
tributed a circular all along the coast
of New England requesting that
/ whenever a cod with a tag comes into
| the hands of a fisherman or other
| person he shall remove the piece of
metal and send il to the commission
station at Woods Holl, together with
a brief statement as TO the date on
which the fish was caught, where it
was captured, its weight before
dressed, it's length and the condition
OF its roe.
The object of the tagging is to as
certain the rate at which n cod grows,
the frequency of its spawning and the
extent of its travels in the ocean.
knowledge of this kind has an obvious
bearing upon fish cultural problems,
and there is every reason to believe
that the future of the cod fishery OFF
the New England coast must depend
mainly upon artificial Matching. The
matching of cod eggs and the planting
If the fry in those waters has been
carried on for several years, and al
/ ready the fishery shows n notable i'm
provement, apparently due to this
work. During the present year, the
work coming to an end April I, there
we're planted in New England waters
25C 100000 Goldfish.
This year the fish commission is go
ng to bag many thousand of young
,almon, artiiciaHy Matched for tn,
~iyers Of the Pacific coast. Very SINAI
tags will be used, the fishes being
''Gngerlings," about three inches long
/ lt is expected that in this way it vii
ice ascertained the age at which thC
, salmon come from the sea to spawn;
also their rate of growth and tn,
eercentage of the fry that attain
roturity. The work will be carried
G on in the basins of the Columbia anC
| Sacramento.
l Some years ago similar expert
ment was made at the fish commits
sion station on the Clackamas river
which is tributary to the Columbia
but instead of tagging the young
{ fishes, the soft dorsal fins were shaved
4 of them with razor before the!
we're released. When they came bacl
{ 10 spawn, three years later, they aver
I aged 20 pounds in weight.
{ From this experiment one or tw'
{ very interesting conclusions wer
; drawn. If all of the artificial,
Matched fry had survived and beer
c captured it is obvious that 1000 o
1 them would have contributed 5000
J pounds of food fish for market. A
Q a matter of fact, only one out of tel
+ of them returned and was taken
u the result being 1000 pounds of fisl
J for every 1000 young ones liberated.