THE first striped marlin recapture for the season was reported on February 20, 2019, by Steve Agius fishing south of Eden, NSW.
Watching the sounder for bait, Steve noticed a large arch sitting deep. The crew sent a live slimy mackerel down to depth and hooked the fish.
After an acrobatic aerial display, Steve and his family noticed the tag positioned in the shoulder of the fish. Once the fish was boat side, the tag was removed so it could be reported to the DPI Game Fish Tagging Program.
After a few quick photos, the fish was swum and released in excellent condition. The marlin was initially released by Eden Sport and Game Fishing Club skipper Brendan Chippendale on board Seahog. Brendan had tagged the marlin only 23 days prior to the north of Eden. The fish had travelled 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) during its time at liberty.
Since this recapture the program has had a number of other striped marlin recaptures reported. Stay tuned for more exciting updates on these fish!
The Game Fish Tagging Program is an example of your recreational fishing licence at work. If you would like to get involved in the program please phone (02) 6691 9602 or email gamefish.tagging@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
