Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Anyone who has done even a moderate amount of shark fishing is probably familiar with the NOAA Fisheries “Cooperative Shark Tagging Program” (or CSTP). Maybe they first learned about it when they caught a shark that had been tagged by someone else, or perhaps they heard from other anglers that tags were available and took it upon themselves to apply for a supply of their own that they could attach to the sharks they release. In existence since 1962 the CSTP is the longest continuous shark tagging program in the world and through it more than 295-thousand sharks have been tagged by the combined efforts of research scientists, recreational, and commercial fishermen. Data generated by more than 17,500 recaptures of CSTP sharks has been critical to learning important details about shark migration and distribution, has provided the basis for determining essential fish habitat for 38 shark species, and is used to study the age and growth of sharks, stock structure, distribution, movements, migration patterns, population abundance, age and growth rates, behavior, and mortality.
For more than 40-years I’ve been actively involved in tagging sharks for the CSTP. In that time we’ve tagged thousands of sharks and have had hundreds of them recaptured. I can’t say how the data derived from those specific recaptures has increased the knowledge of sharks or worked its way into shark management, I have seen first hand how shark tagging has led directly to the conservation of sharks by providing both friends and clients with great incentive to release rather than boat their catch.
Besides being an effective tool to help generate scientific data, tagging provides recreational fishermen with the satisfaction of knowing that the tag they planted could make an important contribution to science and better management of the fishery. Anglers who tag also appreciate the benefit that if their fish is ever recaptured they’ll have the opportunity to learn interesting details about where it went, who caught it, and how much it grew since they originally caught it. For many anglers the tag itself becomes enough of a trophy to steer them away from the desire to bring their catch home, and in more than 30-years of charter fishing I have come to know that the option to tag a fish is often the determining factor my clients will use to decide if they wish to keep or release their catch.
Until recently, to tag sharks through the CSTP anglers needed only to fill out a simple application form and a small supply of tags with instructions would be mailed to them at not cost. Once those tags were used up anglers could request and would receive a re-supply. But in recent years tags have become increasingly difficult to get, and when I questioned the folks at NMFS about this I was told that, due to budget cuts, they have not been able to obtain tags and operate the program at the level that it traditionally has and unless they get more funding the entire CSTP will come to an end sometime next year!
Considering NMFS is tasked with the duty to manage our marine resources at balanced and sustainable levels by providing better science and sound management, I would suggest that the CSTP is a valuable tool that directly addresses those goals. The CSTP has been instrumental in instilling a desire in recreational anglers to learn about proper identification, conservation, and safe handling techniques of sharks. Thanks to the program many anglers have become so passionate about sharks and tagging that they have taken it upon themselves to regularly visit schools, fishing clubs, and other organizations to help spread the word about shark tagging, biology, and conservation. Thanks to the CSTP countless sharks have been released rather than being boated simply because anglers had the option and the strong desire to tag their catch. And since the CSTP is not involved in the regulatory end of things, it has allowed anglers a refreshing opportunity to engage and work with NMFS on a positive note.
The partnership between NMFS and recreational fishermen for the benefit of sharks is enough reason to keep the CSTP alive, add to it the invaluable data and science that has come either directly or indirectly from the Narragansett Research Lab and it should be very clear that this program has been successful at both providing a foundation for shark research and conservation in this country as well as setting a positive example for other countries to follow. At this time in history when so much global effort is going toward finding ways to accomplish what the CSTP has already done to enhance the conservation of sharks, it's incomprehensible that this program would be allowed to fizzle out due to lack of adequate funding.
I cannot suggest where long term funding for the CSTP might come from, but certainly "where there is a will - there's a way" even if it requires NMFS to look outside the box by considering private funding from the public or through corporate sponsorship.
This winter when the NOAAs Southeast St.Petersburg Office sent me my annual Dolphin/Wahoo permit, the three pages of paper came in a cardboard Priority Mail envelope with a $7.75 postage stamp. If NOAA has that kind of money to blow on mailing three pieces of paper they certainly should be able to either fund the CSTP or the wisdom to make a request to the private sector for help in getting it done. I would welcome the opportunity to lend my assistance within the scope of my abilities and resources to help keep the program going long into the future and I know that there are a lot of other fishermen, groups, clubs, business, and concerned citizens who are passionate enough about sharks that would do the same. The Coastal Shark Tagging Program has been a constant win for recreational anglers, science, NOAA/NMFS, the shark fishery, and certainly the sharks. With all the critical issues revolving around sharks these days this is a ball that should not - "must not” be dropped! §
