North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission
International High Seas Tagging Project

Program Overview

In this program salmon will be tagged with red and white disk tags, and a few tagged fish will also carry an electronic tag. Disk tags and electronic tags are placed outside of the fish's body, near the dorsal fin (see Tag Recovery Details).

Three types of electronic tags will be placed on salmon:

• a hexagonal light blue tag,
• a rectangular green tag,
• an electronic green cylindrically-shaped geolocating tag

All high-seas tags should be returned directly to the High Seas Salmon Research Program, one of the addresses shown below. If local regulations require release of salmon or steelhead, please remove any electronic tags before releasing the fish, and send the tag.

Recoveries of disk tags furnish information on salmon ocean range and distributions. Recoveries of undamaged electronic tags provide detailed information on the individual salmon's swimming behaviour with respect to depth and thermal environment.

Geolcating tags estimate route used by the fish during its homeward migration. Taken together, recovery of disk and electronic tags contribute significantly to information on salmon ocean movements and growth.

Particpants Rewarded

At the NPAFC 12th Annual Meeting (October 24-29, 2004, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan), a drawing was held for rewards to those who had returned high seas salmon tags since 2002 until 2004. The drawing was organized as part of a research program funded by the North Pacific Research Board, the prizes in the drawing were incentives for people to return tags and rewards to those who participated.

View List of Winners (PDF)

Outstanding cooperation by fishermen returning tags is the keystone to success of the tagging program. For more information about the tagging program, or returning tags, please call 1-206-543-1101.

NPAFC Salmon Tagging Project is funded in part by grants from the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB).

Addresses for tags return