The Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network (SSACN) now has a new project coordinator. 
Julie Hope (left) – who joined them recently, replacing James Thorburn in managing the Scottish Shark Tagging Progamme (SSTP) – is also now editing SSACN’s quarterly Newsletter
This last quarter has seen a major change in the political position regarding sharks, largely due to SSACN’s consistent programme of research and lobbying.
Fisheries Minister, Richard Lochhead, has recognised that protecting vulnerable marine species is crucially important and that some shark, skate and ray populations are now critically endangered. This is something anglers have been trying to tell politicians and fisheries managers for years -, as SSACN say, better late than never.
For Argyll has already reported on the success of SSACN’s 2011 (and 3rd) Solway Firth Sharkatag, which saw participants coming from all over the UK – although the weather conspired against them and the Sunday was lost for most boats.
The event, as we said, again showed an almost 50% downturn in the numbers of tope tagged and though there is insufficient data at the moment to advance any particular theory as to why this is so, the trend is very worrying. It highlights the value of the tagging events run under SSTP programme and underlines the need for increased levels of research. The total taggings this year, set against those of the last two years, is shown left.
The last three months have also seen a number of significant catches – including probably the largest ever smoothhound caught in Scottish waters – a 15lb 1 oz beaut, caught tagged and released by Guy Stewart, pictured top, an uncommon skate and a mix of interesting recaptures.
Smoothhounds are known as ‘smoothys’ by anglers. We wrote of them once – to much hilarity – as ‘smoothies’. Not the same thing.