Shark tagging project launched off Scotland

James Thorburn tagging a common skate. Credit SNH

February 2010. A Shark Project Officer started work in Oban on a new project run by the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network.

James Thorburn will work closely with local sea anglers to set up and manage the new Scottish shark tagging programme. It will focus on key angling species in Argyll and the west coast of Scotland that are considered endangered, such as spurdog, common skate and tope. James previously carried out a study analysing data on common skate in Argyll as part of his MSc thesis. The data had been collected by anglers since 1975 and stored in the Glasgow Museum.

Scottish shark species
He is thrilled to be returning to Argyll to carry on the work. He said: "We have such an amazing range of shark, skate and ray species off our coasts that most people aren't aware of - this project is a great opportunity to show everyone the rich diversity of fish life out there."

With the help of anglers, who will tag the fish before returning them to the sea, the project will collect useful data on their movements and life history, as well as highlighting conservation issues to the public.

Common skate now very rare
James explained: "As their name suggests, species such as the common skate were once very common around the coasts of the UK but they are now restricted to one or two areas, one of which is off Argyll. There has been an impact on shark populations for a number of years through commercial fishing and fishing bycatch, when they are accidentally caught in fishing gear. As sharks, skates and rays are relatively slow growing and late to mature it takes a long time for their numbers to recover. That's why it's important that we learn as much as we can about them so that we can look after our seas and conserve the sharks for the future."

The project plans to run shark tagging training courses throughout Scotland, hold local events with schools in the run up to Easter and organise large scale tagging events. If anyone is interested in shark tagging or has any general enquiries, do get in touch with James at the SNH office, Cameron House, Albany Street, Oban Tel: 0300 244 9360 or email james.thorburn@snh.gov.uk.  

The project is funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Leader.

Scotland was once a major sea angling centre
Scotland was once a major sea angling centre based around species that were not readily available elsewhere in the British Isles. Inefficient and ineffective fisheries management and practices have left many species void in several areas and many habitats have been destroyed.