Over the next 20 months, blackchin guitarfish encountered during field campaigns in Cyprus will be measured, fitted with individual tags and returned to the sea. When one is encountered again, its tag will connect the two records: how much it has grown, whether it has returned to the same bay and how far it has moved.

Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab has launched Mark, Measure, Conserve: Empowering fishers to monitor the Critically Endangered blackchin guitarfish in Cyprus. Running from June 2026 to January 2028, the project brings a structured tagging programme together with the experience and regular coastal presence of recreational fishers.

The project is supported by the Cyprus Environment Foundation through funding from MUSKITA Aluminium Industries Ltd.

As the blackchin guitarfish is a protected species, field activities will take place under the relevant authorisation and with the support of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR). The Department’s authorisation and coordination make this work possible and provide the framework for the permitted capture, handling, tagging and release of the animals.

What a recapture can reveal

A first capture gives a measurement and a location. A recapture adds time. Linking those two moments allows researchers to begin answering questions that a single observation cannot: how quickly an animal is growing, whether it uses the same coastal area repeatedly, and whether it moves between bays.

Two types of tags will be used. A small Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag placed beneath the skin will provide a permanent individual code that can be read with a handheld scanner. A visible external spaghetti tag will allow a fisher to recognise a tagged animal directly during an encounter. Using both tags improves the chances that an animal can be identified again.

MER will organise at least eight tagging campaigns with recreational fishers and aims to tag and safely release at least 200 blackchin guitarfish, with the possibility of reaching 400 depending on encounter rates.

For each animal, the team will record its length, sex where this can be determined, capture date, location and tag codes. Handling time will be kept as short as possible before release.

As recaptures build, the records can be used to examine growth, apparent survival, site fidelity, displacement and local abundance. Mapping the encounters may also show repeated use of nursery areas and possible links between different parts of the coast.

Fishers will make the recaptures possible

Dedicated field campaigns will create the first tagging records. Further encounters can happen during routine fishing activity, surfcasting competitions and other fishing events around Cyprus. This wider coastal presence is especially valuable for a species encountered at different locations and times of year.

Recreational fishers already hold detailed knowledge of local conditions: when juvenile guitarfish begin to appear, which fishing grounds produce repeated encounters, and how weather, currents and fishing activity shape what is seen. Their observations will help MER plan campaign dates and locations and understand the circumstances around each recapture.

At least 100 recreational fishers will receive practical training through workshops and targeted activities. The sessions will cover species identification, careful handling and release, external tag recognition, PIT scanning and the information needed for a useful recapture record.

A tag number, date, location and new measurement can turn an accidental capture into a valuable point in an animal’s history. MER will verify reports directly with contributors and share updates as individual fish are encountered again. This gives participating fishers a clear view of how their records are being used and keeps the programme connected to the community that makes it possible.

The relationship works in both directions. Fishers provide coastal coverage, practical experience and observations gathered over many years. MER provides the tagging equipment, scientific protocols, data management and analysis needed to connect separate encounters. Regular communication will keep these parts of the programme working together.

Building on what citizen science has already achieved

The project grows from years of collaboration between MER, iSea, fishers, divers, beach users, researchers and volunteers. Records gathered through this network contributed to the recognition of Larnaca Bay, Episkopi Bay and Chrysochou Bay as Important Shark and Ray Areas for blackchin guitarfish reproduction.

That recognition showed the value of bringing many well-documented observations together. It identified coastal areas where neonates and young-of-the-year occur repeatedly and placed those areas on the international conservation map.

The new tagging programme adds individual histories to that wider picture. A tagged fish encountered for a second or third time can show how it uses those areas across months or years. Across many animals, these records can reveal patterns that support future monitoring and conservation planning.

By January 2028, MER aims to have established the first structured, community-based mark–recapture dataset for the species in Cyprus. The project will also leave practical tools in place: trained fishers, handheld scanners, agreed reporting procedures and a network that can continue contributing records after the initial project period.

Further information on the tagging methods, community activities and expected results is available on the Mark, Measure, Conserve project page.

Funding acknowledgement: Mark, Measure, Conserve is supported by the Cyprus Environment Foundation through funding from MUSKITA Aluminium Industries Ltd. Tagging activities are undertaken under the relevant authorisation and with the support of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research.