In 2020 COLTO once again sponsored the CCAMLR Tag Return Lottery to promote awareness in CCAMLR’s toothfish tagging program in exploratory toothfish fisheries. As in previous years, three winners were drawn at random by the CCAMLR Secretariat from the recaptures reported during this season. This year we are delighted to announce the following winners:
- First prize ($400) goes to the Ukrainian vessel, Calipso, who recaptured an Antarctic toothfish on 5 January 2020 in subarea 88.1. This fish was released 727 days earlier on 8 January 2018 by the Korean vessel, Sunstar, 106 km from the recapture location.
- Second prize ($350) goes to the New Zealand vessel, San Aotea II, that recaptured an Antarctic toothfish on 27 January 2020 in subarea 88.1. This fish was tagged 4 years earlier, on 23 January 2016, by the same vessel 13km from the recapture location.
- Third place ($250) goes to the UK vessel, Argos Froyanes, who recaptured an Antarctic toothfish on 7 January 2020 in Subareas 88.1. This was a fish was tagged by the New Zealand vessel, San Aspiring, on 27 December 2018 26 km from the recapture location.
COLTO would like to congratulate the winners and provide thanks to all toothfish vessels that participate in these world-leading tagging programs both inside and outside the CCAMLR Area, which leads to increased understanding of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish populations and fisheries.