As part of a programme to stimulate research and information- gathering on the ecology of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, a new fish-tagging scheme has been introduced by the Department of the Environment in collaboration with the Gibraltar Federation of Sea Anglers with the support of the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society.

There is little scientific information on the life cycles and biology of our fish, although many of Gibraltar's anglers know a great deal about them through experience. The new programme initially focuses on tagging White Seabream (Diplodus sargus) and is designed to assist in answering questions relating to the biology and behaviour of current fish stocks in Gibraltar waters. It will investigate growth rates, dispersal and population dynamics of the species. The scheme will hope to collate as much information as possible on resident fish species such as the White Seabream.

Tagging will commence tomorrow at the South Mole and will be carried out by experienced GFSA shore anglers. The process will involve catching, weighing and measuring the fish before tagging and releasing. It is important to note that participating anglers have been trained to ensure that fish are correctly handled and returned to the water with as little disturbance as possible.

Tags are numbered and colour-coded to identify individual fish and species accordingly. Each tag provides a telephone number to call in case of recapture. These particular tags will be yellow in colour to denote the White Seabream and will be attached using applicator.