SC Marine Game Fish Tagging

What is it about?

The South Carolina Marine Game Fish Tagging Program (MGFTP) began in 1974 and was the first state sponsored public tagging program on the East Coast. The program was initiated with a small contribution from the Charleston based South Carolina Saltwater Sportfishing Association. For a number of years the program received funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sport fish Restoration Act before coming under the funding umbrella of the South Carolina Saltwater Recreational Fishing License. The tagging program has proven to be a useful tool for promoting the conservation of marine game fish and increasing public resource awareness. In addition, the program has provided biologists with valuable data on movement and migration rates between stocks, growth rates, habitat utilization, and mortality associated with both fishing and natural events.