A Shark Project Officer started work in Oban this week 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.
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.
Mr Thorburn 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, they should get in touch with Mr Thorburn at james.thorburn@snh.gov.uk
