Tagging Projects

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Summer Flounder

Throughout 2026, the Rhode Island Division of Marine Fisheries (RI DMF) is conducting a tagging project that seeks to describe summer flounder stock dynamics in Rhode Island state waters to support science-based management of the resource, particularly in relation to recent declines in the availability of summer flounder to nearshore recreational anglers.

Disc tags, each with their own serial number and the phone number of the project team, will be deployed on at least 1000 summer flounder over the course of the study. Tags will be deployed by recreational anglers within the private and for-hire sectors in collaboration with the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) and the Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association (RIPCBA). This project is reliant on the accurate and timely reporting of recaptured fish to the science team. Anglers who catch and report a tagged fish will be rewarded with a summer flounder hat! So, if you catch a tagged fluke this summer, be sure to let us know so you can show off your support of science-based management and keeping RI fisheries sustainable.

Smiling angler holding a small tagged summer flounder aboard a recreational fishing boat in Rhode Island coastal waters. — An angler displays a tagged summer flounder during a recreational fishing trip, supporting fisheries research and fish population tracking efforts in Rhode Island waters.

One of several summer flounder tagged in 2025.

False Albacore and Bonito

Local anglers have teamed up with RI DMF on a tagging and image collection project focused on two small tunas: Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda) and false albacore (Euthynnus alletteratus). These fish are currently not managed in state and federal waters. This project aims to provide fisheries managers with fundamental data needed to ensure sustainable fisheries for these two species including life history and distribution. Thanks to our partnership with RISAA and funding provided by the Southern New England Estuary Program (SNEP), anglers have been volunteering their time to provide us with this valuable data. In 2025, approximately 250 tags were distributed to for-hire and recreational fishermen and that effort will continue in 2026. Additionally, photos of these species are submitted by anglers with a project-specific catch card for size reference to determine each fish’s length. Tagging locations and images will allow the project team to examine where, when, and what size Atlantic bonito and false albacore are being caught and where these migratory fish travel upon release. If you would like more information on how to participate, please email [email protected].

Striped bass lying on a measuring surface beside a fisheries tagging card used for recreational fishing research and data collection in Rhode Island waters. — A tagged striped bass is documented alongside a fisheries data card as part of recreational fishing research and fish population monitoring efforts in Rhode Island coastal waters.

An example of a catch card used to estimate the length of a bonito.

Young angler Todd Martin holding a false albacore aboard a recreational fishing boat after catching the fish using a pink epoxy jig in Rhode Island coastal waters. — Young angler Todd Martin proudly displays a false albacore caught on a pink epoxy jig during an exciting Rhode Island saltwater fishing trip.