Marine biologists at Heriot-Watt University revealed that they have found a nursery for the blackmouth catshark on a coral reef in the Outer Hebrides.

Scientists at the university said their work highlighted the “essential” need to safeguard sharks and the economy they support.

The Mingulay Reef, which is already a Special Area of Conservation, has been awaiting designation as a European marine protected area (MPA) – and the greater protection for the habitat and wildlife that would bring – for three years.

Dr Lea-Anne Henry, who led the latest research at Heriot-Watt University, said: “It’s very exciting to find these spawning sites, as there’s still relatively little information about deep-sea sharks’ habitat across their life cycles. Our research at Mingulay and in even deeper Scottish waters is now revealing many close links between cold-water corals and the early life stages of sharks, skates and rays. Protecting these spawning sites has real economic benefits too. Over 60 per cent of sport anglers target catsharks when they fish this area, which brings in over £140m to the Scottish economy each year.

“Sports anglers catch the sharks and release them back in the water, which helps us document and ultimately conserve the populations. Sharks aren’t just part of this underwater ecosystem – they’re a huge part of the local and national economy.”

The survey of the reef was carried out using a remotely operated vehicle. Shark eggs were found carefully “nested” in corals at a depth of around 170 metres on sloping sites on the leeward side of the reefs, protecting them from being blown away by strong currents.

Dr Henry added: “This is the first time we’ve found proof of a nursery in Mingulay.

“The sharks are choosing these sites because they’re safe. The corals have lots of hard branches, which deter predators, and laying them away from the current in lower parts of the seabed reduces the risk of eggs drifting away.”

To read the rest of the article go to – http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/deep-sea-shark-nursery-found-in-outer-hebrides-1-2969337

Despite the good weather leading up to the event, low pressure systems over the UK brought unsettled weather and strong south-westerly winds during the weekend unfortunately forced the cancellation of the event on both Friday and Saturday.

With the wind swinging to the west some boats ventured out of Drummore on Saturday morning hoping to find some shelter along the west coast of Luce Bay, however, for most anglers the day was short-lived.

Although several boats recorded catches of smoothhound, some mackerel and a selection of other species, the wind made for uncomfortable fishing and many anglers headed home early as a result. Anglers fishing from the shore fared little better on Saturday mainly catching lesser spotted dogfish, flounder and some small bass in the sheltered estuaries.

To everyone’s relief the winds relented on the Sunday allowing boats to launch from all three bases at Drummore, Isle of Whithorn and Brighouse Bay and their patience was rewarded with some excellent fishing.

Boats out of Drummore fishing inside Luce Bay fared best on the tope with OnyerMarks recording 27 tope and OnyerMarks Too recording 11. Catches consisted mainly of male pack tope up to 30lb.

At the Isle of Whithorn it was a very different story, tope were thin on the ground though several small fish were reported by boats fishing well offshore. Instead, anglers fishing inshore around the Isle of Whithorn reported excellent catches of spurdog with the majority of fish over 10lbs. Amongst the spurdog where some excellent bull huss and some smoothhound as well as the usual suspects including lesser spotted dogfish and whiting.

Three recaptures of tagged fish where reported from the Isle of Whithorn area consisting of two spurdog and a bull huss. One of the spurdog caught by Steven Toner aboard Nauti Nic was originally tagged off Port Logan in September 2010, during her 995 days at liberty she had grown from 83cm

to 99cm long.

At Brighouse Bay around 12 boats and more than 30 anglers managed to get out on Sunday. Like those out of the Isle of Whithorn the boats reported good catches of spurdog and bull huss.

An analysis of the catches will be performed once the final details are in and will be included in SSACN’s Summer Report due out soon.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along and waited for the weather to give us a chance of getting out. I think we all breathed a collective sigh of relief when the winds relented on Sunday and it was great to see everyone get out!

If you have any images from the event that you would like to share through the Sharkatag 2013 gallery below please email them to contact@ssacn.org.

We will try and arrange some better weather for next year!

The Sharkatag Team.

As with the SSTP, the programme will work with volunteers, including anglers, who will catch fish, tag them, record their details and release them unharmed.

The two programmes working together is an exciting development and builds on the collaborative relationship established last year with Sportvisserij Nederland (the Royal Dutch Angling Association).

The results from all these efforts can only help provide a better understanding of the make up of the stocks of small sharks such as tope, bull huss, spurdog, rays etc,  and potentially their distribution, movements and migration patterns;  such information will help inform policies for the conservation of the various species in the relevant waters as well as the wider EU waters.

Any anglers who regularly catch or target small sharks in Manx and who want to join the programme should contact eleanor@manxwt.org.uk and those who catch a tagged shark should take as many details as possible, including the identification number on the tag, and report it to Eleanor or online at www.tagsharks.com/submit-tag-data.

More on the IOM Shark Tagging Programme announcement.

The up to date forecast shows the strong winds easing and turning to the west through Saturday with Sunday looking favourable at the moment so, subject to them remaining that way, Sharkatag 2013 day 3 will proceed as planned.

Registrations will be open from 1930 to 2100 hrs on Saturday evening at the 3 centres …. Brighouse Bay Caravan Site, The Steam Packet Inn at the Isle of Whithorn and The Clashwannon Camp site at Drumore.

Further registrations will be held from 0730 to 0900 on Sunday morning at the slip at Brighouse Bay, the slip at Isle of Whithorn and at Drummore Harbour.

The boats out earlier in the week were reporting good numbers of fish around so let’s hope the weather and fish give us a good day.

Thanks again for your continued support of Sharkatag and SSACN’s conservation efforts.

Tope #2601 originally tagged in Luce Bay by Dale Robertson on 25/07/10 was recaptured around 1400 miles away on 27/05/13 by a deep water longline vessel working the Gorringe Seamount.

Regretfully we’ve had to cancel day 2  (Saturday) of this Sharkatag due to conflicting weather forecasts. Only time will tell which forecast is proves right, but Windguru Pro has wind speeds of 28 knots (31 mph) at 12 noon Saturday.

As a result, the registration sessions booked for Friday evening and Saturday morning will now not take place.

The forecasts are still looking good for Sunday.

As before, we appreciate it’s disappointing for all those who were looking forward to taking part, but better safe than sorry and we don’t wish to have people travel and not be able to get out. .

Image shows the ‘wind guru’ report for the period.

As a result, the registration sessions booked for Thursday evening and Friday morning will now not take place.

The up to date forecast shows the strong southerly winds turning round more to the southwest into Saturday which may just allow fishing to take place in sheltered areas although the team will monitor the forecast and a further decision will be made and notified by 1230 on Thursday.

At this stage the forecast shows the winds turning even more to the west and easing into late Sunday – again this will be monitored and decisions will be notified in a timely manner.

The general fishing has been very good on the lead up to the event with plenty of tope and huss being taken, so here’s hoping the forecasters haven’t got it just right and the winds ease to allow days 2 & 3 to proceed.

We appreciate it’s disappointing for all those who were looking to take part, but better safe than sorry.

Image shows one of the launch sites last year.

The EU banned shark finning throughout the EU fleet in 2003, but a loophole permitted the provision of permits for the removal of shark fins at sea, requiring the retention of the carcasses under an excessive and complicated ratio system. Last week the European Council of Ministers finally adopted the best practice for finning ban enforcement: requiring sharks be landed with fins still attached.
Following the announcement Ali Hood, director of conservation for the Shark Trust said: “At long last, we are mere weeks away from seeing the EU convert its shark finning ban from an embarrassment of loopholes to a model of best practices. Implementation of the new ‘fins-attached’ regulation, particularly in the EU’s far-reaching, high volume shark fisheries, represents a momentous step forward for shark conservation.”

Shark finning was banned by the EU in 2003, but there were loopholes in the regulation that allowed shark fins to be removed on-board and landed separately from shark bodies, the new associated official regulatory text requires sharks be landed with fins still attached.

Spain and Portugal, Europe’s leaders in catch of oceanic sharks, have objected to the legislation during all its phases; as with all other such legislation the real test will be in how assiduously it is enforced.

Requiring that shark fins to remain attached can also yield valuable species-specific catch data which may in the longer term help secure additional safeguards including science-based limits on shark catches. 

Shark fins image – credit NOAA

The bill now heads to the Assembly, which passed the same measure last year, only to have it die in the Senate without a vote.

Read more here