Tag a Cod Shore Angling Competition

AFBI, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute is appealing for help from anglers and recreational fishermen and women who may catch codlings from rocky shores, beaches and angling boats this summer.

ABFI want to tag these cod and release them back into the sea. They are also sponsoring a recreational angling shore competition on 28th April on the East Antrim coast, to both tag cod and raise awareness of the Irish Sea Cod Tagging Project which AFBI are currently managing.

The Irish Sea Cod Tagging Project is a collaborative project between AFBI, the Marine Institute in the Republic of Ireland and CEFAS in the UK, funded by the European Commission. Thousands of cod have already been tagged in the Irish Sea in a project studying their movements and causes of mortality.

Most of the cod have been tagged on commercial vessels or charters at sea over the last two years, but now AFBI are appealing for help from the recreational angling community in a bid to increase tagging numbers and to tag small cod not caught on commercial vessels.

AFBI Project Lead Victoria Poppleton commented:  ‘Since October last year we have been working with the local angling community and they have been very engaged and enthusiastic about this project. We are hosting, along with East Antrim Surfcasters Sea Angling Club a “Tag a Cod” shore competition in late April which has around 60 anglers signed up so far.”

Engagement from both the commercial fishing industry and the recreational angling community is key to this project’s success and so we need anyone who catches young cod over the coming months to get in touch with us via fishtagging@afbini.gov.uk for more details.

For more information on the “Tag a Cod” competition or project, please visit:

www.afbini.gov.uk/publications/tag-cod-shore-angling-competition

www.afbini.gov.uk/articles/cod-tagging-project-irish-sea

Notes to editors: 

1. Photo Caption: Pictured from AFBI are Andrew Rea and Irish Sea Cod Tagging Project Lead Victoria Poppleton who are appealing for help from anglers and recreational fishermen this summer.
2. AFBI carries out high quality technology research and development, statutory, analytical, and diagnostic testing functions for DAERA and other Government departments, public bodies and commercial companies.
3. AFBI's Vision “Advancing the Local and Global Agri-Food Sectors Through Scientific Excellence”.
4. All media enquiries to AFBI Press Office

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