What are the opening hours?

Monday 07:30 - 16:30 Tuesday 07:30 - 16:30 Wednesday 07:30 - 16:30 Thursday 07:30 - 16:30 Friday 07:30 - 16:30

ORI TAG

🎣Citizen Science Fish Tagging Project
🎣Based in Durban, South Africa at SAAMBR a fish that is recaught with a tag in it) to ORI.

ORI Tag, or more formally known as the Oceanographic Research Institute's Cooperative Fish Tagging Project (ORI-CFTP), is a citizen science monitoring project that involves the cooperation of conservation-conscious anglers (i.e. anglers who voluntarily tag and release their fish) and the marine angling public at large, who report the majority of the recaptures (i.e. Despite the voluntary nature of

this project, the tagging of fish still has great scientific merit, allowing us to learn more about the movement patterns, growth rates, mortality rates and population dynamics of our important linefish species. This information is extremely valuable and is used by scientists and managers around the country for policy and decision making on linefishery management. Despite the large quantity of important scientific data collected by this long-term project, the tagging project has also made a major contribution towards changing the ethics of anglers with regard to catch-and-release, which undoubtedly goes far beyond the pure scientific value of the data collected. Not only do anglers now have a reason to capture and release a fish, they are in actual fact contributing to a better understanding of the biology and ultimately the conservation of that species. This added bonus goes a long way in improving angler awareness about our marine linefish species, as well as contributing towards sustainable fishing.

04/06/2026

We’re putting lines out and hoping to reel in some epic photographs for our annual and much anticipated ‘Taggjng Newsletter’ 🎣🐟🦈🤙

The winner not only gets to be featured on this year’s cover, but will also walk away with 25 free tags (now valued at R500). There are a few simple rules to follow to be eligible:
- the tag must be visible in the photo
- the photo must be from last year (2025)
- it must highlight good handling practices
- it can either be of a tagging or recapture event
- you can submit multiple entries
- entries must be emailed to oritag@ori@org.za by 30 June 2026

By submitting a photo you consent to having it appear in the Tagging Newsletter.

We can’t wait to see your beautiful snapshots of your most memorable catches from last year!

20/04/2026

Tag orders will be closed from 1 - 24 May!!

Our team has a lot of travel for conferences and fieldwork coming up in May so we will be unable to send off tags during this time.

Please submit any tag orders by the end of this week to ensure we can get you stocked up and ready to fish, tag, release and repeat! 💪🎣

13/03/2026

Two recent recaptures tell a fascinating story about one of South Africa’s most iconic fish - the red steenbras.

The first was originally tagged in Plettenberg Bay and then recaptured near Tshani in the Eastern Cape an astonishing 5,030 days later — almost 14 years! The second fish was tagged and later recaptured near Struisbaai after 1,574 days (4 years) at liberty.

Together, these two fish perfectly reflect how red steenbras live their lives, a species found only in our waters. Younger fish tend to stay close to home on reefs along the Southern and Western Cape. But once they reach maturity, many undertake one big migration eastwards towards the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, where adults are more commonly found and where spawning is believed to occur.

It’s an adventure that takes time. Red steenbras are slow-growing and exceptionally long-lived, reaching over 50 years of age and growing larger than any other seabream in the world.

That’s what makes the first fish so special — we were able to record it both before and after its great coastal journey, and it’s exciting to know it will likely have spawned and contributed to these endangered populations.

The second fish, meanwhile, had not yet begun its own adventure, reminding us just how important catch and release is for species like this, giving them the chance to grow, migrate, and one day help rebuild their populations.

Thanks to Guy Balme and Albertus Nieuwoudt for submitting their beautiful red steenbras photos!

03/03/2026

That blue-grey flash, dark stripes, razor teeth and a pointed snout, every KZN and Moz angler knows it. Officially the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, but to us it’s simply couta.
We’ve always thought of couta as long-distance cruisers, smashing bait balls and migrating hundreds of kilometres. And yes, some do. ORI-CFTP recaptures show about 20% have moved over 1,000 km from where they were tagged.
But here’s the twist…
Last October, our head scientist Dr Ryan Daly internally acoustically tagged couta in Mozambique - the first time this species has ever been tracked this way. Before we began, we had one big question: would they survive tagging? Couta fight hard.
The answer appears to be yes. Couta have a 10% recapture rate in the ORI-CFTP programme, one of the highest of any species we tag, strong evidence that when handled carefully, they survive and thrive. Even better, the acoustic data confirmed that all tagged fish survived release.
And the surprises didn’t stop there. Early detections show that some fish stayed in the tagging area for months. That matches our tag-recapture data too - around 20% of recaptured couta were caught exactly where they were originally tagged, even years later.
So yes, some couta are built to roam… but others may be loyal to their favourite reef.
The ocean is always more complex than we think. Stay tuned - this story is just getting started. 🎣
Thanks to and for putting us on the fish and all the support and knowledge sharing!

15/01/2026

🎣 Happy New Year! 🎣

As we cast off into 2026, we’d like to wish you all a year filled with tight lines, memorable catches, and great days on the water. 🌊🐟
We also want to take a moment to say thank you. The past year brought a few changes, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who stuck with us, adapted, and continued to support the project. Your commitment is what keeps this community strong. 💙
We’re proud to head into the new year with such a passionate, dedicated group of anglers and ocean stewards by our side. Here’s to another year of shared stories, valuable data, and a deeper understanding of our coastal fish.

We’re fully up and running again, so let us know if you need to restock your tags after all that festive fishing!

Image of a dusky kob tagged and submitted by Francois Lourens

29/10/2025

A poensie with patience! 🐟⏳

Talk about a long journey — a black musselcracker (aka poensie) was recently recaptured after an incredible 5122 days at liberty, that’s over 14 years!

Originally tagged by Bruce Mann inside the Pondoland MPA back in 2011, this poensie measured 345 mm. Fast-forward to 2025, and angler Warren B recaptured it in Ballito, now a hefty 700 mm — roughly double its original size! 💪

Juvenile black musselcracker are highly resident to the Eastern and Western Cape, sticking close to rocky reefs, but as they mature, some adults make uni-directional movements into KwaZulu-Natal waters, likely to spawn — just like this traveller did.

Armed with powerful conical teeth for crushing hard-shelled prey like crabs and mussels, these reef bruisers are slow-growing and long-lived, with some reaching 45 years of age. Encounters like this show just how far a poensie can go — and how vital marine protected areas like Pondoland are in giving them the time and space to thrive.

16/10/2025

Thoughts of the festive season can either get you frothing for all that summer fishing, or send you into a mild panic because of everything you need to get done before the year-end. But one way or another, the Christmas carols will be haunting us soon!

Our team has a lot of fieldwork, coursework and leave planned for November and December, so please please please, get your festive fishing tag orders in ASAP. Those received within the next month, by 14 November, will be processed as normal, but any tag orders received after that will be delayed, and any tag orders received after 22 December will only be processed in the new year.

As always, thank you all for your continued support of the project, and we hope Father Christmas brings you lots of fun fishing this festive season!

08/10/2025

🚫 Shad Season is Closed! 🚫
1 October – 30 November

We know this year there has been some confusion around the shad fishing season closure, but this is just a reminder that the closed season runs for two months, giving this iconic species a well-deserved break! 🌊

This closure plays a vital role in keeping our coastal ecosystems healthy — giving shad the chance to breed and rebuild their numbers. By respecting the closure, we’re helping ensure that these powerful, much-loved surf-zone fighters remain part of our fishing heritage for generations to come. 🎣💙

Photo credit - Riekert van Heerden

30/09/2025

🎣 Good news for ORI-CFTP taggers!

From October 2025, we’ll be charging for tags - BUT thanks to the generous support of the South African fishing tackle agents and distributors, we’re able to keep the cost low at R20 per tag.

Ordering tags? Same process as always.
Future funding? If we secure more, we’ll look at dropping the price even further.

A huge thank you to the South African fishing tackle agents and distributors, and of course you, our amazing anglers, for keeping this project alive and thriving!

Here’s to a summer full of fishing, tagging, and tight lines!

23/09/2025

Have you seen me?? Looking for any reports on this really cool species that was thought to be locally extinct and rediscovered last week.

Address

1 King Shaka Avenue, Point
Durban
4001

Opening Hours

Monday	07:30 - 16:30
Tuesday	07:30 - 16:30
Wednesday	07:30 - 16:30
Thursday	07:30 - 16:30
Friday	07:30 - 16:30

Telephone

+27795290711

Website

http://www.oritag.org.za/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when ORI TAG posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to ORI TAG:

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Opening Hours
Alerts
Contact The Organization
Claim ownership or report listing

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Durban?