No. Feasibility trials conducted by the Australian Government confirmed that the RFID tagging method has “no statistically discernible effect” on coral mortality, tissue loss or bleaching compared with untagged controls. The tags are biologically inert and marine-grade, and are designed to protect the organism's welfare.
The trials also showed ~100% tag retention and readability throughout, and no measurable increase in facility processing time for pre-chipped plugs, so the technology fits into existing fishery workflows.