Shark Trust

[Paul D]

Received the following.

 

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RE: Shark Trust and Heritage Lottery Fund angler recording project.

 

 

The Shark Trust, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is currently initiating a project with the angling community of the south west to record the shark, skate and ray biodiversity of the region. For the project, we are asking charter boats and individual anglers to record the species of sharks, skates and rays they encounter and in which areas they are found. The data will be made accessible to local communities through Biodiversity Records Centres where it will help to bolster understanding of inshore shark populations. The information supplied will be handled sensitively and will not be used in a manner that will enable the identification of specific marks.

 

 

 

The ultimate goal of this project is to ensure a sustainable future for the regions marine ecosystems and the sea angling sector. The Shark Trust supports the angling community, where best practice is followed, and recognises the sports importance to the economy of the south west. While we realise the importance of the knowledge anglers hold to marine management, we also know that they are constantly being asked to record their catches for different projects. We feel that this project is particularly important due to the massive declines that have been seen in the number and size of most sharks, skates and rays being caught. Understanding these declines is vital to reversing them.

 

 

 

If you would like to get involved or would like more information, please contact me at rich.hurst@sharktrust.org or on 01752 672020. More information about the project can be found at Shark trust Project. If you would like to know more about the Shark Trust and our activities, please visit the website at www.sharktrust.org. Please feel free to forward this e-mail to anyone who may be interested in the project.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Rich Hurst

 

Conservation Assistant

 

 

 

The Shark Trust

 

4 Creykes Court, The Millfields, Stonehouse, Plymouth, PL1 3JB.

 

[Neal]

 

Very simple to understand the decline and very simple to control.

 

Stop the inshore trawling where the juvenile fish live - and ban beam trawling completely. Just look on the slab at Greenslades and see the sizes of the "skate wings" they sell - which includes Spotted, small eyed, undulate. blonde and thornback rays. I suspect none of us would keep fish that small!

 

Problem solved!

 

I for one will not be providing information of location and numbers of sharks skate or rays in case it ends up in the hands of the commercials as would be most likely.

 

However, if they want information on Dogfish numbers! I will be delighted to tell

 

Neal

[Paul D]

Neal,

 

I think Undulate Rays are not allowed to be landed by commercials ( at least from what I read on their web site ? )

 

Another angle on it though - If we as recreational anglers do not provide information to allow the setting up of protected areas ( which is the ultimate end I think ) then these will possibly be set up in the wrong places.

 

The commercials probably know where most of the fishing spots are anyhow and they are not looking for exact location details - just general areas to prove the decline or whatever.

 

If we as RSA's dont help then we will, once again, be leaving it to the commercials to set the agenda. IMHO.

 

 

[Neal]

 

It's OK Paul - I was just having a general rant about inshore commercial fishing.

 

Information should be held as to the where, what and when, as well as breeding seasons etc.

 

Hopefully this would be used to ensure that areas are protected for future generations. But still nothing is being done to curb the commercials from taking juvenile and possibly protected species. Or as has been documented, pair trawlers catching tons of breeding bass in the western approaches. Who is going to stop that!

 

Next time you are in Poole just look at the Greenslades fish merchants - near to the ferry terminal - and check out the sizes and types of fish they sell!

 

Look at the numbers of crabs and lobsters for sale - most of the pots are filled with flounders trawled / netted in the harbour as pot bait. Thats why Flounders are not as common in the Harbour as once they were!

 

Rant over........again!

 

Neal

[Member Removed]

Never trust a shark.....