Thirty-four Taupo trout are having their movements tracked for 12 months.
The $80,000 project involves inserting Canadian-manufactured acoustic transmitters into the fish.
The transmitters record the fish's depth and the water temperature every 90 seconds. The data will be picked up by 16 automatic data loggers placed around the lake.
It is expected to provide information on the movement of the tagged fish and their preferred water temperature.
Although the transmitters are not visible, a blue, red, yellow or purple plastic tag attached along the dorsal fin indicates the fish is equipped with a transmitter.
Anglers who catch any of the tagged fish are being asked by the Department of Conservation (DoC) to contact its Turangi office.
Anglers are asked to release the fish back into the lake alive after recording the tag's number and colour and where and when the fish was caught.
If a tagged fish is caught and kept, the same information should be recorded and the tag returned to DoC.
DoC says that if a boat snags and pulls up one of the 16 data loggers around the lake, it should be advised immediately.
The receivers are a grey 30cm long cylinder attached to a post and look similar to a large firecracker.
DoC fishery scientist Dr Michel Dedual said the information collected would be of real benefit to anglers once the project was completed, providing guidance where the fish were at various times of the year.
The project is well under way, with the receivers in place and the team catching fish for tagging.
- NZPA
Herald Feature: Conservation and Environment
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