The international smolt tagging tests, 1959–1969

The smelt tagging tests described in this paper were carried out in fulfilment of the Council's recommendation at their meeting in Copenhagen in 1958, that "All member countries should carry out experiments to determine the comparative value of various types of tags and methods of tagging and that, in particular, as part of this programme, teams from different countries should participate in joint tagging programmes as a test of different techniques". 

Three experiments were carried out. In the first, which extended over the period 1959-63 teams from England, Ireland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden visited each other's countries for the tagging operations but in the other two tests, that carried out in Sweden in 1966 and that in Canada in 1969, all tagging took place at one site in the host country. Canada, England, Ireland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden participated in the tests started in Sweden; and Canada, France, Ireland, Sweden and USA took part in the tests in Canada. 

The results from these three tests can best be presented separately.