Our Mission

Starting in 2007, Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG) has been developing Tag It: a volunteer-based fish tagging program designed as a continuation of the once popular Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) Ulua Tagging Project. The goal is to utilize the same tags across a variety of species, reducing the confusion of having multiple ongoing tagging projects in Hawaiʻi’s nearshore fisheries. 

The "One-Stop Tag Shop” design streamlines and centralizes the whole process: distribution of tagging supplies to volunteers, data collection and monitoring for recaptures. 

The data we compile through this project will be used to improve scientific understanding of Hawaiʻi’s nearshore fisheries and better inform future management decisions.

PIFG’s Tag It program supports tagging initiatives throughout the Hawaiian archipelago and around the Pacific, including Guam and Saipan. Our tagging system creates a collaborative research dynamic through partnerships with the fishing community and government agencies.