Ball grid array technology improves fish tagging

Andover-based electronics design and manufacturing company CIL, has worked with Cefas to develop data storage tag (DST) for fish that uses double-sided ball grid array technology.

Tagging fish provides unparalleled insights into how these creatures behave and respond to different environments.

This allows a better understanding of the biology of commercial fish and helps to assess how different management options, such as closing an area of a fishery, may help to sustain endangered fish stocks.

To ensure that the normal behaviour of the tagged fish is not disrupted, the sise of the tag is critical.

The G5 is only 8mm in diameter, 30mm long and weighs just 1g in water.

This reduced size allows tagging studies to be carried out on a wider range of species and is likely to open up new fields of research.

Earlier versions of Cefas tags have been used on cod, plaice and rays in the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the English Channel and on penguins, albatross, tuna, elephant seals and