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A diver's view
During the 2011 Skate Tagathon, Chris Holland of Lothian Divers - captured some amazing footage of a skate being brought to the boat. The following gallery…
A Weekend Skate Fishing
Okay, it’s early on a Saturday morning, the weather outlook is not so promising and I’m sitting in the car at Croab Haven watching the rain bounce off the…
About
The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP) is a branch of the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network www.ssacn.org; its objectives are to : to tag…
Accommodation - Isle of Whithorn
Accommodation - Mull of Galloway
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Contact Us
Please use the following form to drop us a mail, we'll endeavour to respond within 24 hours.
Double Dutch!
You may have heard of the luck of the Irish but how about double Dutch. Well that’s exactly what happened recently for Jan Meijlink, and Kees from Amsterdam.…
Easter at Loch Sunart 2010
There is a Loch Sunart pattern beginning to emerge. It started at last year's SSACN Tagathon event in November. It goes something like this; a) Day One -…
Essentials for Skate
Essentials for a private boat going Common Skate fishing. Because Common Skate tend to be larger than the average fish you will encounter; certain equipment…
Events
As no scientific body can afford to pay scientists/marine biologists to effectively tag and release large numbers of fish, SSACN has created the Scottish Shark…
First skate, a recapture and a PB
Hi, My names Alain - I’ve been tope fishing out of Luce Bay and off the Yorkshire coast for the past two years, but I’ve been wanting to catch a skate for…
Hall of Fame
The SSTP's ‘Tagger of the Month’ programme recognizes the individual angler who has contributed the most data the the SSTP database during a particular…
- Top Taggers
  Most tagging schemes offer a small reward to anyone who reports the details of any initial / recapture tagging data. The SSTP has decided to award fishing caps…
  - Cap awards
    The SSTP rewards its volunteer taggers with caps with an SSTP logo on them. Providing the tag data for 10 sharks entitles the volunteer to a bronze logo, data…
Islay Tope Festival
The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme joined the annual Stormcats Islay Tope Fishing Competition took place on Lochindaal on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd…
Lochgilphead Accomodation
LOL – Lauren on Location
Lauren is back from her trip - this page and the entries in the right hand column will give you a good idea of how much she enjoyed and benefited from the…
- 100 dives for the one fin wonder
  LOL – Lauren on Location – another fantastic week for Lauren as she logs up her 100th dive and along with some of the members of the TSRCP team she goes…
- A major lesson from Palau
  Palau is unlike many other countries in that it actually recognizes what it has i.e.: world class dive sites and instead of ruining and exploiting such a…
- A wedding
  LOL – Lauren on Location - Calanggaman Island diving, a wedding, and the final dive at Monad Shoal. On the 29th of May Gordon and I headed across to…
- Earth Day 2010
  LOL – Lauren on Location - Earth Day 2010 – Lauren gives a talk, cleans up and discusses dangerous toilets. Thursday the 22nd April 2010 was Earth Day,…
- End of the rainbow
  It would be fair to say I was in love with Palau before I had even left the Philippines, this had been born from various conversations I had had with diver’s…
- How’d you like your eggs in the morning
  " - I like mine over the South China Sea...." By the time it came to leave Aberdeen on the 5th of April, I was literally bursting at the seams (the…
- Pack, pack, weigh, reshuffle, pack ..
  Pack, pack, pack, weigh... re-shuffle, re-shuffle, weigh… pay for extra baggage online! One week left to go and my bags are already packed and waiting! When…
- Travelling and training
  LOL – Lauren on Location – Lauren makes her way to Thresher Shark Research and Conservation Project (TSRCP), based on Malapascua Island, off the North East…
Not Forgotten Association (NFA) Event
This ‘tale’ is extracted from a report written by Captain Andy Bridson who put on a charity fishing event for the Not Forgotten Association which provides…
Reading Room
Welcome to our reading room – feel free to settle back and enjoy the books, papers and new releases as they come in. Many are ‘first editions’ and all…
Recaptures count!
I (Terry Morris) and my wife Eileen live in Newcastle. Eileen is not a total fishing widow, she fishes too! In fact we spent our honeymoon fishing; an…
Schools
SSACN are very keen to help educate Scottish children about the various species of fish and their natural environments in their local waters. So far our focus…
Sharkatag Gallery
Welcome to the photo gallery for previous Sharkatags. Operating the photo viewer is simple : Select which year to review simple by mousing over the 'All…
Skate Tagathon
The Common Skate Tagathon is the latest addition to SSACN’s “Special Events”. The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP) data for the inaptly named…
Skate Tagathon Gallery
Welcome to the photo gallery for the SSTP Skate Tagathons. Operating the photo viewer is simple : Use the < and > keys to look through the…
Skate Tagathon videos
The following are a few videos shot from a mobile phone which may help give a flavour of the Skate Tagathon - Willie was the cameraman and commentator. P…
Slow-slow-quick-quick-oh
SSACN Life Member Dave Wright reflects on a red letter day fishing off the Mull of Galloway. Fishing can be hard at times, especially if the wind is blowing…
Special Events
Shark stocks in Scottish waters are severely threatened and data on their quantity, size, sex, distribution and growth rates is needed if they are to be…
- Sharkatag
  Sharkatag takes place around mid-summer from marks around the Solway and SW Scotland with the focus on collecting data on tope, smoothound, thornback and other…
- Sharkatag 2009 results
  The venue for Sharkatag 2009 was the western end of The Solway in South West Scotland and the event ran from the 12th to the 14th of June. Key Points 175…
- Sharkatag 2010
  Sharkatag 2010 is over. It ran from the 18th to the 20th of June and as usual the main target was tope with rays, huss and hounds also expected to feature. …
- Sharkatag 2010 photo call
  A few photos from Sharkatag to try and give a flavour of the event. There is a Sharkatag photo album on the SSTP Facebook. We would welcome any additional…
- Special Events – A Brief History
  The special events program was conceived in November 2008 at a tagging event organised by SSACN, simply called the Tagathon. The Scottish Shark Tagging…
- Submit tag data
  Please note: If you entering data for more than one fish in a session, fill in this page in full for the first fish and then just your name for subsequent…
- Why Tagging
  Amongst other things, the European Community Plan of Action (CPOA) for sharks seeks to ensure Monitoring & assessment of recreational shark fishing…
Spurdog Tagathon Gallery
Welcome to the photo gallery for previous Spurdog Tagathons. Operating the photo viewer is simple : Select which year to review simple by mousing over the…
Spurdog Tagathon info
The SSACN Spurdog Tagathon which happens around the middle of November is the SSTP’s oldest Event. The main aims of the weekend are to tag as many…
The Gold Standard!
The relatively new SSTP cap award scheme has hit the ground running and is certainly proving to be popular with the anglers! There are three levels (as…
Thornback Queen
Ticketty Boo! II now lives up at Loch Sunart for the winter, so Ayr SAC friend Darren Sloan, my daughter Sarah and I headed up for the day on Sat 25th…
Will my luck change ?
The luck of the Irish ? Well folks after a horrendous ten days of burst pipes and no heating in my house I finally got things sorted (with the monumental…

Blog Posts

Category: Campaigns (8)
SSTP campaigns, parliamentary questions and answers and responses to political initiatives.
- Allow spurdog to recover
  November 27, 2008, 13:28
  Speaking during today’s debate in the Scottish Parliament on sea fisheries, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment John Scott MSP…
- EC to stop shark finning
  November 24, 2010, 10:00
  Finning consists of cutting off and keeping the fins of sharks while throwing the shark body overboard to die. The European Commission wants to eradicate the…
- Historic Scotland marine consultations
  November 4, 2011, 13:23
  Historic Scotland has launched public consultations on: a strategy for the protection, management and promotion of marine heritage 2011-16, and…
- MPA and Conservation Strategy Responses required
  April 27, 2010, 15:06
  With the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 now in place, the Scottish Government is now in the business of implementing the act. The Government’s Marine…
- NWWRAC attempt to change 5% rule
  July 31, 2008, 13:26
  Commercial fishermen within the NWWRAC (North Western Waters Regional Advisory Committee) wrote to the EU to try and have the 5% spurdog bycatch rules changed…
- Report highlights Spurdog stock issues
  November 16, 2010, 10:06
  A Background Document on the Spurdog Squalus acanthias has been developed by OSPAR following the inclusion of this species on the OSPAR List of…
- Scottish finning permits
  May 9, 2009, 13:24
  The following question was raised in the Scottish Parliament by John Scott (Ayr) (Con) : To ask the Scottish Executive how many permits it has issued in each…
- Sharkatag recognised in World Ocean’s Day debate
  June 4, 2010, 08:57
  Stuart McMillan MSP, (SNP) recently spoke in the Scottish Parliament chamber to promote the upcoming World Oceans Day which raises awareness of the oceans of…
Category: Events (27)
Sign up for the next major event and details of previous events.
- 2012 Diary dates
  November 8, 2011, 09:09
  Looking ahead to 2012 ? Want to enjoy some good company and fishing ? Want to make a real difference ? Support the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme Help…
- BBC - Sharkatag
  June 12, 2009, 10:24
  From this BBC News item. A Sharkatag event is currently under way in the waters off the Dumfries and Galloway Coast. Organised by the Scottish Sea Angling…
- Egg case hunting on Coll
  May 12, 2010, 12:02
  The SSTP recently went to Coll to visit Arinagour Primary School to help them scour the beach at Feall Bay for eggcases. The day was a huge success with…
- Less than a week to Sharkatag
  June 19, 2011, 08:41
  Join the many other anglers fishing marks around the Solway looking to catch, tag and/or record data regarding a variety of shark species including tope,…
- Oban – Festival of the sea
  April 22, 2010, 14:29
  Oban is to host a major new 10 day event, celebrating ‘Argyll’s dazzling marine environment’ and inviting everyone to come and join the adventure. The…
- Onlinefishing TV Sharkatag show
  September 3, 2009, 08:58
  Andy Ford joins the anglers involved in Sharkatag, an important Scottish Sea Anglers Conservation Network event that highlights the need for shark, ray and…
- Sharkatag 2009
  December 17, 2008, 09:57
  Sharkatag 2009 has finished - the event ran from the 12th to the 14th of June – its main aims were to tag as many fish as possible from the shore and boat;…
- Sharkatag 2009 results
  August 27, 2009, 20:11
  The venue for Sharkatag 2009 was the western end of The Solway in South West Scotland and the event ran from the 12th to the 14th of June. Key Points 175…
- Sharkatag 2009 results
  August 1, 2009, 10:04
  The venue for Sharkatag 2009 was the western end of The Solway in South West Scotland and the event ran from the 12th to the 14th of June. Key Points 175…
- Sharkatag 2010 day 1
  June 19, 2010, 10:23
  A mixed day to kick off Sharkatag – some really good fish taken offshore but catches inshore were more variable – some boats managing to take 4 or 5…
- Sharkatag 2010 day 2
  June 19, 2010, 21:54
  Sharkatag 2010 is now well under way and an improvement in the weather has resulted in much improved catches with reasonable numbers of tope, bull huss,…
- Sharkatag 2011
  April 12, 2011, 10:11
  The next SSTP Special Event is Sharkatag 2011 to be held 24/25/26 June 2011 - see this page for more information. This year we are expecting it to be bigger…
- Sharkatag 2011 – A quick review
  June 29, 2011, 09:58
  Once again Sharkatag received terrific support with anglers fishing from over 50 boats and, reflecting the growth of this sector of our sport, a new record 20+…
- Sharkatag info pack
  June 20, 2011, 08:41
  Only 5 days till Sharkatag 2011 !!! The information pack is now available for download. Those attending Sharkatag will off course be given a full…
- Sharkatag juniors on BBC / CBBC
  July 3, 2010, 10:38
  During Sharkatag the CBBC / BBC Newsround programme did a item for their programme where the interviewer ‘Leah’ went out in one of the boats along with…
- Sharkatag2010
  November 27, 2009, 12:21
  Sharkatag 2010 is over. It ran from the 18th to the 20th of June and as usual the main target was tope with rays, huss and hounds also expected to feature. …
- Skate Tagathon 2011
  November 12, 2010, 10:10
  Full details of the 2011 Skate Tagathon have now been released, they can be found here. You can still download the poster in pdf format from here.
- Skate Tagathon update sheet
  April 1, 2011, 09:25
  The Special Event’s Team have just released their latest set of update notes for the upcoming Skate Tagathon; they may be downloaded in pdf form from here.
- Spurdog Tagathon 2011 Welcome pack
  November 1, 2011, 09:50
  SSACN’s Event Team would like to welcome back to all those seasoned Tagathon anglers and all the new faces joining in this year to help tag as many fish as…
- SSACN Tagathon 13/14 November
  October 8, 2010, 10:07
  To make this event a success we once again need your help. So please consider coming along with your mates, your boat and/or your beach casters to help us…
- Tag Recording Card ready for download
  June 6, 2010, 10:10
  The updated SSTP recording card is now available for download in pdf form. You may either print it to normal paper and send it in an envelope to the address…
- Tagathon 2010
  June 23, 2010, 18:22
  Next up in the SSTP’s tagging events is Tagathon 2010. This will take place on the 13th and 14th November and run from two usual venues, namely Loch…
- Tagathon2009
  September 29, 2009, 09:20
  Welcome to the Tagathon2009 Home Page. Tagathon2009 is NOT a fishing competition - the tagging event is part of our ongoing campaign to allow the stocks of…
- The Not Forgotten Event
  July 27, 2010, 21:10
  This post is extracted from a report written by Captain Andy Bridson who put on a charity fishing event for the Not Forgotten Association which provides…
- The spirit of Sharkatag
  June 26, 2011, 18:17
  We had a terrific time at Sharkatag. It was truly brilliant. Not a lot of fish but great enjoyment. As requested I have attached a few photographs…
- Top Taggers
  July 21, 2010, 12:20
  Most tagging schemes offer a small reward to anyone who reports the details of any initial / recapture tagging data. The SSTP has decided to award fishing caps…
- World Conference on Marine Biodiversity
  July 9, 2010, 08:47
  From their website Vision The oceans provide an irreplaceable resource to humankind which must be protected and managed into the future. The impact of…
Category: Featured (12)
- Facebook
  February 22, 2010, 17:27
  The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme now has a facebook fan page! It is hoped that this page can be used for connecting anglers together on one site to display…
- Scottish Sharks
  April 17, 2009, 10:37
  In Scottish waters, sharks like the porbeagle and spurdog were once relatively common, but are now classed as “critically endangered”; spurdog, also…
- Scrutiny of the Bill
  May 1, 2009, 14:49
  At stage 1 of the Bill process, the Committee is concerned with the general principles of the Bill. The Committee hopes to hold evidence sessions to inform its…
- Shark finning a high priority
  May 8, 2009, 15:10
  Europe’s threatened sharks were thrown a lifeline today as the European Council announced their conclusions and priority actions regarding the Community…
- Shark free marina programme
  May 19, 2009, 17:49
  The Shark-Marina has a singular purpose, to reduce worldwide shark mortality. Today the not-for-profit company launches its strategy which intends to…
- Sharkatag 2009
  May 8, 2009, 15:11
  Sharkatag2009 is a shark tagging event following on from the successful spurdog 'tagathon' SSACN held around Loch Sunart in Autumn 2008; however, for…
- Sharkatag2010
  November 27, 2009, 12:21
  Sharkatag 2010 is over. It ran from the 18th to the 20th of June and as usual the main target was tope with rays, huss and hounds also expected to feature. …
- Spurdog Tagathon
  May 8, 2009, 14:30
  Though the final figures aren't in yet this weekend saw an incredible number of anglers, a flotilla of boats, the odd kayak or two and some incredible fish. …
- SSACN
  May 2, 2009, 13:26
  Just a quick test hello from SSACN
- Submit Tag Data
  December 5, 2009, 18:53
  Please use the following form to add the tag data regarding single captures or recaptures. If you entering data for more than one fish in a session, fill in…
- Tag return reward
  October 14, 2011, 19:13
  A £100 reward is being offered by the Marine Labs for the return of their skate data tags along with details of where the fish was caught. Only the…
- Tagathon2009
  September 29, 2009, 09:20
  Welcome to the Tagathon2009 Home Page. Tagathon2009 is NOT a fishing competition - the tagging event is part of our ongoing campaign to allow the stocks of…
Category: Infocentre (41)
Press Releases, sstp updates, newsletters, white papers and other such information
- 1000 up press release
  August 10, 2010, 11:32
  The following press release was sent out yesterday and marks a significant milestone in the development of the SSTP - 1000 fish tagged and counting, and all in…
- 2010 YTD NEWSLETTER AND SHARKATAG REVIEW
  July 22, 2010, 09:11
  Please feel free to download this Newsletter (just click on the image) which provides an overview of some of the things we have been up to over the past few…
- 2012 Diary dates
  November 8, 2011, 09:09
  Looking ahead to 2012 ? Want to enjoy some good company and fishing ? Want to make a real difference ? Support the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme Help…
- An overview of the tags we use
  November 16, 2010, 14:35
  ID tags: We currently use Dart tags produced by Floy with a small dart head. Floy recommend that these tags are used on fish 8” – 24” (~20 – 61 cm)…
- Basking Shark hotspots
  February 21, 2010, 10:15
  SNH Commissioned Report 339: Basking Shark Hotspots on the West Coast of Scotland: Key sites, threats and implications for conservation of the species.…
- Catch and release
  December 9, 2009, 19:42
  Very little work has been carried out in the UK to show the mortality rates on fish released by rod and line anglers; consequently much of the findings below…
- CEFAS tagging programme
  September 19, 2010, 10:57
  CEFAS is planning a porbeagle and spurdog tagging programme and is asking fishermen to help - and offering a reward for those who do. Porbeagle sharks and…
- Common Skate – put them back alive poster
  May 13, 2009, 11:04
  THE UNCOMMON SKATE – key facts It is slow growing and takes many years to reach sexual maturity Population replacement is only around 2% per…
- Crinan skate on Animal 24:7
  October 28, 2010, 13:00
  The item is no longer available to watch. This morning's Animal 24:7 show featured an item on the SSTP's work tagging skate at Crinan. You can view it via…
- Dr Lauren Smith
  November 10, 2009, 14:34
  SSTP are pleased to introduce the latest member of our team – Dr Lauren Smith. The Shark Bug From a very early age I was fascinated by the Oceans,…
- Dreamstore Award
  October 4, 2010, 15:24
  We are pleased to announce we have been awarded the Dreamstore Active Conservation Award in recognition of the work we have done towards increasing public…
- First there was YoYo
  May 3, 2011, 12:35
  YoYo is a female common skate who held the record for the common skate being caught and released – 8 times. Now we need a name for a new record holder…
- Great use of length/weight charts
  July 8, 2011, 12:24
  Now here’s a great use of the length/weight charts available from the SSTP Events page as a pdf download. It comes from an email from the Loch Ryan SAC and…
- Handgrips in skate
  December 18, 2011, 10:25
  Any idea what caused the wound in the following photo ? No ! Well, skate and rays are common bycatch in many trawled fisheries; to return the fish to…
- July 2011 Newsletter
  July 24, 2011, 09:28
  For this edition we have a new Editor - Julie Hope - who joined us just recently as our new SSTP Project Coordinator – download it here. This last quarter…
- Latest SSACN Newsletter
  July 21, 2010, 12:59
  Now available here (pdf) - a round up of some of SSACN's activities to date this year. The newsletter focuses on two major projects – The Scottish Shark…
- Life history of Spurdog
  April 18, 2010, 10:27
  From Life History of the Piked Dogfish (Squalus acanthias L.) in Swedish Waters Charlott Stenberg Fiskeriverkets Utredningskontor, Göteborg, Sweden The…
- Luce Bay Consultation
  August 27, 2011, 12:13
  The Scottish government is holding a consultation regarding proposed management plans for the Luce Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC); it is based on…
- Press release–Skate Tagathon
  March 21, 2011, 14:14
  The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme PRESS RELEASE - IMMEDIATE USE Inaugural running of Common Skate Tagging Event - 8th-10th April Once again…
- Report highlights Spurdog stock issues
  November 16, 2010, 10:06
  A Background Document on the Spurdog Squalus acanthias has been developed by OSPAR following the inclusion of this species on the OSPAR List of…
- Reproduction of female spiny dogﬁsh
  April 18, 2010, 10:18
  From the paper Reproduction of female spiny dogﬁsh, Squalus acanthias, by Thomas S. Jones The spiny dogﬁsh (Squalus acanthias) is a relatively…
- Scottish Marine Bill
  May 2, 2009, 13:20
  The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Environment Committee is seeking views on the general principles of the Marine (Scotland) Bill " . The…
- Scottish Marine Region – Consultation
  October 26, 2011, 18:57
  The Scottish Government published a consultation paper Scottish Marine Regions - Defining their Boundaries on 23rd November 2010 and written responses were…
- Sharkatag 2009
  December 17, 2008, 09:57
  Sharkatag 2009 has finished - the event ran from the 12th to the 14th of June – its main aims were to tag as many fish as possible from the shore and boat;…
- Sharkatag 2009 results
  August 1, 2009, 10:04
  The venue for Sharkatag 2009 was the western end of The Solway in South West Scotland and the event ran from the 12th to the 14th of June. Key Points 175…
- SIFT launched
  September 17, 2011, 19:18
  Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (SIFT) is a Scottish charity founded in 2011 SIFT believe that despite the importance of inshore waters, their management…
- Skate Tagathon 2011 photos
  April 9, 2011, 14:20
  Some really special photos in the Skate Tagathon gallery. This one shows 13 year old Jack Hope with his first Common Skate – it weighed in at…
- Skate Tagathon update
  April 10, 2011, 19:16
  Day one saw some fantastic action in the Sound of Jura with ten boats and two kayaks taking 26 Common Skate to 210lb ..... regional press, Visit Scotland…
- Skate Tagathon update sheet
  April 1, 2011, 09:25
  The Special Event’s Team have just released their latest set of update notes for the upcoming Skate Tagathon; they may be downloaded in pdf form from here.
- SSACN AGM and subscriptions
  October 20, 2011, 19:17
  The AGM this year will be held on the 8th December at the Royal Marine Reserve HQ, 37 - 51 Birkmyre Road, Govan, Glasgow, G51 3JH - it will start at…
- SSACN AGM–Cancelled
  December 8, 2011, 13:05
  Tonight's (8/12/11) AGM has been cancelled because of the storm force winds that are due for the region today and the to the long distances many members need…
- SSACN Press release - EU Shark Plan
  April 24, 2009, 13:32
  “Scottish sea anglers welcome EU shark plan” SSACN launch the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme The Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network…
- SSACN receive funding for Shark Officer
  November 8, 2009, 13:24
  Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Argyll and the Islands LEADER Programme have put together a funding package which will enable us to take our Scottish…
- SSACN return to CPOA for sharks
  January 7, 2009, 12:45
  CONSULTATION on an EU Action Plan for Sharks Response Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network (SSACN) Antonio Fernandez-Aguirre International Policy…
- SSACN Spurdog Tagging Programme
  October 15, 2008, 13:31
  15 boats and 60+ anglers to take part in SSACN weekend project. Over the weekend of November 15/16, the conservation charity, the Scottish Sea Angling…
- SSTP update in Reading Room
  December 19, 2010, 13:50
  The December update on the progress of the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP) is now available in the Reading Room. The SSTP relies heavily on the…
- Status of the Shark–Infographic
  February 4, 2012, 13:32
  Here is a fine example of an infographic from the Discovery Channel. Note :: It is quite a large image so may take a while to download.
- Tagathon 2008 - Sunday Herald article
  November 9, 2008, 16:29
  The fight to save the Spurdog Shark Overfishing prompts anglers to descend upon lochs in a mass effort to tag critically endangered species - By Gordon…
- Tagathon 2008 write up
  April 2, 2009, 13:03
  By Phill Williams for Boat Fishing Monthly SCOTTISH SEA ANGLING CONSERVATION NETWORK 'TAGATHON' If like me you are between 50 and 60 years of age and have…
- Tagathon on BBC Out of Doors
  November 15, 2009, 17:23
  Listen to SSTP’s Ian Burrett talking about Tagathon on this weekends BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors programme at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nwsgy…
- Talking sharks in Italy
  February 13, 2011, 10:45
  Denis Kelly, SSACN’s Secretary is visiting to the prestigious Scuola Lingue Estere dell’Esercito (Army Foreign Language School) in Perugia Italy to…
Category: Lauren on Location (11)
Keep up with SSACN’s Lauren Smith as she reports from her sabbatical in the Phillipines
- Earth Day 2010
  April 26, 2010, 09:27
  LOL – Lauren on Location - Earth Day 2010 – Lauren gives a talk, cleans up and discusses dangerous toilets. Thursday the 22nd April 2010 was Earth Day,…
- Filipino Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
  May 2, 2010, 08:37
  LOL – Lauren on Location - Filipino MPA's The recent Marine Bills which have been passed in the UK led to an interest in finding out about Marine…
- Getting ready to go
  March 30, 2010, 14:02
  Will I get this lot on the plane ? Pack, pack, pack, weigh... re-shuffle, re-shuffle, weigh… pay for extra baggage online! One week left to go…
- Introduction
  March 26, 2010, 12:52
  Sharks have evolved for over 400 million years, surviving some of the earth’s greatest mass extinctions. They are superbly adapted to their environment: apex…
- LoL - The end of the rainbow
  June 24, 2010, 14:38
  It would be fair to say I was in love with Palau before I had even left the Philippines, this had been born from various conversations I had had with diver’s…
- Sharks, Rays, Visa’s, Ear’s and Woolly Hats
  May 5, 2010, 15:36
  LOL – Lauren on Location – Too much detail around ear infections balanced by some rather nice photos. A little over a week ago I was starting to get…
- Surviving Fiesta and Manta Ray Overload!
  May 20, 2010, 11:50
  LOL – Lauren on Location – Eye to eye with a Manta ray Fiesta’s in the Philippines are usually held to celebrate a patron saint or to mark the…
- The Giants of the Ocean
  April 19, 2010, 09:10
  LOL – Lauren on Location – Lauren gambles with the ATM and gets to swim with whale sharks. After a good nights sleep in Manila I was back in the Airport…
- Thresher Shark
  March 25, 2010, 13:05
  The primary reason for me choosing the Philippines is because it is home to a well established shark research laboratory, with an excellent reputation the –…
- Travelling and Training
  April 20, 2010, 09:21
  LOL – Lauren on Location – Lauren makes her way to Thresher Shark Research and Conservation Project (TSRCP), based on Malapascua Island, off the North East…
- Whale Sharks
  March 24, 2010, 13:11
  During my stay in the Philippines I will also be going to visit the whale sharks that descend on the waters of Donsol, located at the Southern tip of Luzon…
Category: School Visits (6)
Read how SSACN’s outreach programme helps educate Scottish children about their local marine life.
- 2010 School visits
  October 4, 2011, 18:29
  The following is a brief summary of those schools visited during 2010. Dallintober & Drumlenbull: An education day was run at each school in…
- Ardchattan Primary School
  October 4, 2011, 17:42
  Now, its all too often the smaller, rural schools that are forgotten about, but the SSTP wants to engage with the children who have marine life and various…
- Auchencairn Primary 23/01/12
  February 3, 2012, 15:48
  On the 23rd of January Lewis visited Auchencairn Primary School in Kirkcudbrightshire. The visit was for the upper class (primary 5-7) and was attended by 16…
- Mull Primary School
  October 4, 2011, 17:52
  The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme went along to the Mull Primary School Event, on 6th September 2011. The event was organised by the Argyll & Bute…
- Park Primary School
  October 4, 2011, 15:42
  The first educational visit for phase 2 of the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP) took place at Park Primary in Oban on Tuesday 13th September 2011. Pro…
- School Visits
  October 4, 2011, 18:07
  SSACN are very keen to help educate Scottish children about the various species of fish and their natural environments in their local waters. So far our…
Category: Shark Bites (251)
- “Sores” on Tagged Sharks
  October 25, 2011, 15:00
  Recently, some anglers have reported ‘sores’ at tag sites on recaptured Common Skate. Below we explain the impact that tagging has to the body of…
- 0 out of 10 for effort
  July 13, 2009, 08:39
  Wildlife on Earth is under serious threat, despite the commitment by world leaders to reverse the trend, according to a detailed analysis of the IUCN Red List…
- 100 dives up
  May 28, 2010, 19:34
  LOL – Lauren on Location – another fantastic week for Lauren as shoe logs up her 100th dive and along with some of the members of the TSRCP team she goes…
- 1000 up press release
  August 10, 2010, 11:32
  The following press release was sent out yesterday and marks a significant milestone in the development of the SSTP - 1000 fish tagged and counting, and all in…
- 2010 Catch Limitations
  November 24, 2009, 11:18
  Regarding catch limits for 2010, the Commission will continue to set catch limitations for the following elasmobranch fisheries: Skates and rays (all…
- 2011 Series Updated
  January 27, 2011, 14:55
  END OF SERIES ONE - LAST ARTICLE TODAY Before 1960 sea angling was a comparatively unknown branch of angling in Scotland, by 1970 there seemed no limit to how…
- 2012 Diary dates
  November 8, 2011, 09:09
  Looking ahead to 2012 ? Want to enjoy some good company and fishing ? Want to make a real difference ? Support the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme Help…
- 400 million years old and critically endangered
  February 7, 2010, 12:04
  Is one of the longest running shows on earth about to come to an end? Meet the stars of the show; the Spurdog, the Thornback Ray and the (not so) Common Skate…
- A ban on shark finning
  October 11, 2009, 10:43
  BRITAIN is to ban shark-finning, the fishermen’s barbaric practice of slicing off a live shark’s fins and discarding the remainder of the body, generally…
- A History of Tagging
  November 29, 2011, 13:36
  In this segment we will cover the history of fish tagging from its origins in the early 1600’s up to modern day shark tagging projects. For centuries…
- A lesson from Palau
  June 29, 2010, 09:45
  LOL – Lauren on Location – In her last blog entry Lauren reflects on a key factor which is helping Palau to retain a rich biodiversity in its waters.…
- A New Way to Record Your Tags
  February 6, 2012, 14:48
  Feedback from anglers at our recent AGM included comments about the time it takes to submit large numbers of tagging data to the database. One solution to this…
- A weekend Skate Fishing
  April 10, 2010, 09:16
  Okay, it’s early on a Saturday morning, the weather outlook is not so promising and I’m sitting in the car at Croab Haven watching the rain bounce off the…
- Action on Shark Finning Welcome
  December 20, 2011, 13:43
  The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a complete ban on the practice of shark finning - where fins are sliced off sharks when vessels are at sea,…
- AGM – New date
  January 11, 2012, 15:31
  As you'll remember we had to call off the proposed AGM in November 2011 due to weather. It will now take place on Wednesday the 1st February 2012 at the…
- An Extraordinary Recapture!
  December 23, 2011, 14:37
  Over the last few years the SSTP has brought together tagging data from our own database and historical data from the Glasgow Museum Tagging Programme and the…
- An overview of the tags we use
  November 16, 2010, 14:35
  ID tags: We currently use Dart tags produced by Floy with a small dart head. Floy recommend that these tags are used on fish 8” – 24” (~20 – 61 cm)…
- An update on Lauren
  May 16, 2010, 09:16
  LOL – Lauren on Location rounded off a fabulous week of diving at Monad Shoal with 2 dives at Gato Island (about 1 – 1 1/2 hrs boat ride N.W. of…
- Angel born in Deep Sea World
  November 19, 2011, 17:24
  A rare angel shark pup was born prematurely at Deep Sea World in North Queensferry. According to the centre it is the first time the critically-endangered…
- Auchencairn Primary 23/01/12
  February 3, 2012, 15:48
  On the 23rd of January Lewis visited Auchencairn Primary School in Kirkcudbrightshire. The visit was for the upper class (primary 5-7) and was attended by 16…
- Aus shark stocks increasing
  September 9, 2009, 12:14
  SHARK numbers across southern Australia have rocketed to unprecedented levels, with the most comprehensive marine survey ever undertaken in the nation's waters…
- Australia to allow fishing for mako to continue
  March 3, 2010, 09:12
  Australian recreational fishers today welcomed the decision by The Hon. Peter Garrett, Federal Minister for the Environment to allow the sustainable…
- Basking Shark conference
  August 7, 2009, 18:32
  The conference, which runs from 31 July – 6 August, will culminate in a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) meeting for basking sharks. It is hoped that proposals…
- Basking Shark hotspot
  January 9, 2010, 10:41
  A NEW report has identified two areas on the west coast of Scotland - Gunna Sound between the islands of Coll and Tiree and the sea around the islands of Canna…
- BBC - Sharkatag
  June 12, 2009, 08:37
  From this BBC News item. A Sharkatag event is currently under way in the waters off the Dumfries and Galloway Coast. Organised by the Scottish Sea Angling…
- BBC in Loch Etive
  July 15, 2010, 13:50
  The BBC approached the SSTP as they were interested in the conservation work that we are doing involving sea anglers and Spurdog, they joined the SSTP aboard…
- Beyond the Blue – Issue 7
  May 13, 2010, 09:12
  With a stunning photo portfolio from marine-filming veteran Charles Maxwell, an absolutely stunning cover featured from David Ulloa and many more exciting…
- Blackmouth Dogfish – Fishing and ID Guide
  December 19, 2011, 16:39
  Today we look at the Blackmouth Dogfish in the tenth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Blackmouth Dogfish and…
- Blonde Ray – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 24, 2011, 13:53
  Today we look at the Blonde Ray in the sixth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Blonde Ray and want to show it off…
- Blue Shark found on Lewis
  September 5, 2011, 11:19
  A Blue shark has been washed ashore in the Outer Hebrides. The pregnant 6ft-long female was discovered by Martin Scott, the RSPB's conservation officer…
- Boca Raton Considers Ban On Shark Fishing
  January 12, 2011, 10:39
  Modified from here There's no decision yet on whether Boca Raton will say no to shark fishing. A proposed ordinance banning the practice was pulled from…
- Bold EU moves for sharks
  November 19, 2008, 10:17
  Congratulations to the EU on their proposals for the management of elasmobranchs. If the proposals go ahead then there will be a zero Total allowable catch…
- Boots shark cartilage capsules
  October 1, 2009, 11:06
  A SHARP-EYED customer at a Phuket store has triggered an international review of the sale of capsules made from shark cartilage, found in the local Boots…
- Brazilian company accused of finning 280,000 sharks
  August 4, 2010, 09:37
  From an FIS post. A conservation watchdog Monday accused a Brazilian company of illegally fishing 280,000 sharks which were killed to feed Asia's appetite for…
- Bull Huss – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 7, 2011, 10:33
  This post represents the first in a series of elasmobranch identification and fishing guides that will be posted by the SSTP. These guides aim to give anglers…
- Bycatch threats to porbeagle and spurdog ?
  April 27, 2010, 16:03
  SSACN are currently looking at ways as to how the relationship with our Scottish science partners can be leveraged to support a CEFAS project to assess the…
- Call for photos to aid research
  November 4, 2010, 19:48
  Claire Pickett is a student at the University of Glasgow who is conducting her masters thesis on the use of photo ID for Scottish sharks, skates and rays.…
- Call the BBC
  January 28, 2011, 14:01
  Declan Mc Gettigan, a researcher for the BBC is currently working on a show about fishing and is looking for people with great stories and enthusiasm to be…
- Careless angler gets spiked
  October 3, 2009, 10:00
  AN angler has been taken to hospital after a spurdog punctured his arm causing him to bleed heavily. A 39-year-old angler had been fishing two miles south of…
- Catch and release
  December 9, 2009, 19:42
  Very little work has been carried out in the UK to show the mortality rates on fish released by rod and line anglers; consequently much of the findings below…
- CEFAS tagging programme
  September 19, 2010, 10:57
  CEFAS is planning a porbeagle and spurdog tagging programme and is asking fishermen to help - and offering a reward for those who do. Porbeagle sharks and…
- Changes to Tagging Procedure
  February 1, 2012, 10:26
  This article covers some changes that will be implemented to tagging procedure over the coming months. Depth Gauge for Canulas You may be aware of an…
- Chile take first step to ban finning
  March 14, 2011, 19:51
  The Fisheries Committee of the Chilean Senate voted on Friday in favour of placing a bill aimed at protecting sharks by banning finning on the legislative…
- China to stop shark fin trading
  March 17, 2011, 18:29
  A Chinese lawmaker has proposed that the country's top legislature ban the trade of shark fin, a high-end delicacy consumed by wealthy people in China and East…
- Clyde IFG consultation
  July 26, 2011, 14:58
  The Clyde Inshore Fisheries Group (IFG) is about to undertake formal public consultation on the Clyde IFG (draft) Management Plan. But you’ll have to move…
- Colour blind sharks
  January 19, 2011, 15:19
  Adapted from this article A new study suggests sharks may be colour-blind, challenging the long-held belief they were mainly attracted to yellow. The joint…
- Common Skate – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 17, 2011, 14:43
  Today we look at the Common Skate in the fourth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Common Skate and want to show…
- Common skate - fished to extinction ?
  November 12, 2011, 10:06
  A species of common skate is to become the first marine fish species to be driven to extinction by commercial fishing, due to an error of species classification…
- Common Skate Rig
  February 8, 2011, 16:16
  Images and pattern kindly supplied by Les McBride The main feature about the rig is the extremely short hook length of just 12-14 inches. Not only does this…
- Commonplace but unusual
  June 30, 2011, 14:57
  Strange happenings down the Mull of Galloway. Trevor Armitage, a consultant from South Shields hospital, caught a 170lb common skate yesterday aboard a local…
- Consultation on MCZs
  November 17, 2011, 14:25
  From their press release. Natural England and JNCC have been requested by Defra to provide statutory advice on potential Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) to…
- Could shark chemicals protect humans from viruses?
  September 27, 2011, 11:12
  Researchers have claimed that a chemical found in many shark species could potentially be used to protect humans from a wide range of viruses. Shark species…
- Crinan skate on Animal 24:7
  October 28, 2010, 13:00
  The item is no longer available to watch. This morning's Animal 24:7 show featured an item on the SSTP's work tagging skate at Crinan. You can view it via…
- Cuckoo Ray – Fishing and ID Guide
  November 3, 2011, 12:20
  Today we look at the Cuckoo Ray in the eighth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Cuckoo Ray and want to show it…
- Defra plan to help shark recovery
  January 14, 2011, 16:41
  Sharks, skates and rays under threat of extinction should be given bespoke protection to help them recover faster, according to a new UK Government conservation…
- Disappearing sharks in the Clyde
  January 4, 2012, 10:59
  Shark species in the Clyde have all but disappeared. Although most people know that the Clyde was once one of Europe's prime destinations for cod, haddock,…
- Do Porbeagles Play?
  October 12, 2011, 12:44
  The Porbeagle (Lamna nasus) has all the hallmarks of an aggressive predatory shark: a powerful, stocky body, dark menacing eyes and jaws that hold up to 30…
- Dr Lauren Smith
  November 10, 2009, 14:34
  SSTP are pleased to introduce the latest member of our team – Dr Lauren Smith. The Shark Bug From a very early age I was fascinated by the Oceans,…
- Dreamstore Award
  October 4, 2010, 15:24
  We are pleased to announce we have been awarded the Dreamstore Active Conservation Award in recognition of the work we have done towards increasing public…
- Earth Day 2010
  April 26, 2010, 09:27
  LOL – Lauren on Location - Earth Day 2010 – Lauren gives a talk, cleans up and discusses dangerous toilets. Thursday the 22nd April 2010 was Earth Day,…
- Easter at Loch Sunart
  April 10, 2010, 09:35
  There is a Loch Sunart pattern beginning to emerge. It started at last year's SSACN Tagathon event in November. It goes something like this; a) Day One -…
- EC Plan of action for Sharks
  February 9, 2009, 10:22
  SSACN believes there is a chance for sweeping improvements in the European Union's (EU) shark fishing and protection policies as the European Commission has…
- EC to ban trade in tuna, porbeagle and spiny dogfish ?
  February 18, 2010, 10:08
  The EC is proposing a negotiating stance of a near-total trade ban in bluefin tuna at the upcoming CITES meeting in Doha in a bid to save the fish from serious…
- EC to stop shark finning
  November 24, 2010, 10:00
  Finning consists of cutting off and keeping the fins of sharks while throwing the shark body overboard to die. The European Commission wants to eradicate the…
- Egg case hunting on Coll
  May 12, 2010, 12:02
  The SSTP recently went to Coll to visit Arinagour Primary School to help them scour the beach at Feall Bay for eggcases. The day was a huge success with…
- Electronic and Satellite Tags
  November 30, 2011, 13:13
  In part 2 of the “History of Tagging” segment we look at the development and use of electronic tags. The development of electronic tags opened up…
- End Shark finning
  April 26, 2009, 10:32
  Anglo-Spanish boats administered from Ayr and Ullapool have applied for 16 shark finning permits this year. Seven permits were issued in 2006 and seven in…
- Essential equipment for catching common skate
  December 3, 2010, 15:37
  A new 'essentials' equipment guide for safely catching common skate has now been produced, please click here for more detail
- Etive / Sunart recaptures
  December 4, 2009, 17:34
  The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme has focussed attention on Lochs Sunart and Etive because anecdotal evidence suggest there is a unique residential…
- EU agree zero TAC for deep water sharks
  December 1, 2010, 09:48
  EU Ministers yesterday reached unanimous political agreement on fishing opportunities for deep water sharks. The agreement effectively sets a zero TAC for…
- EU Project to Protect Threatened Sharks
  February 3, 2012, 12:21
  Open-ocean shark populations throughout the world are dropping, not only due to overfishing but also from inadvertent captures by fishermen in search of tuna…
- EU protection for tope
  February 12, 2011, 13:57
  The TACS and Quotas for 2011 have brought in the first EU wide protection for the tope. The document states, “Catches taken with longlines of tope shark…
- EU protects endangered sharks
  December 16, 2009, 11:45
  SSACN are delighted to announce today that the EU Council of Fisheries Ministers’ has voted to stop all commercial fishing for porbeagle sharks and reduce…
- EU signs up to MoU for sharks
  November 22, 2011, 14:18
  In Bergen - the EU today became a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for sharks. At the…
- EU tightens protection of sharks
  December 22, 2010, 13:58
  SSACN welcomes the EU Council of Fisheries Minister’s decision to tighten the protection of both inshore and deepwater species of sharks in the 2010 December…
- EU to stop deep sea shark fishing
  October 29, 2008, 09:07
  Speaking at a news conference following yesterday's fisheries ministers' meeting, Commissioner Borg stated there will be no directed fishing for deep-sea…
- European Parliament endorses resolution on finning
  December 17, 2010, 09:52
  The European Parliament has endorsed a resolution a proposal to prohibit the removal of shark fins on-board vessels. Shark finning is the wasteful practice of…
- FAO advisory panel offers recommendations on CITES proposals
  December 15, 2009, 21:51
  Rome, 14 December 2009 An advisory panel of independent experts convened by FAO has issued recommendations regarding six proposals to limit international…
- Filipino Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
  May 2, 2010, 08:37
  LOL – Lauren on Location - Filipino MPA's The recent Marine Bills which have been passed in the UK led to an interest in finding out about Marine…
- First there was YoYo
  May 3, 2011, 12:35
  YoYo is a female common skate who held the record for the common skate being caught and released – 8 times. Now we need a name for a new record holder…
- Florida - new rules for sharks and proposals for other species.
  December 12, 2009, 10:24
  In a two-day meeting of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission it has said that more protection for bonefish and sharks and more research on Goliath…
- Glasgow Museum Tagging Project adds great value to the SSTP
  June 14, 2010, 14:38
  The SSTP would like to offer a big thank-you to Richard Sutcliffe from Glasgow Museums who has kindly given us the data on Common Skate, Tope and other…
- Global threats to sharks
  June 27, 2008, 09:09
  In the last ﬁfty years humanity has proven beyond a doubt that the oceans are not inﬁnite. What seemed to be an inexhaustible supply as recently as twenty…
- Goodbye to James
  March 2, 2011, 15:14
  A year has gone by and unfortunately James Thorburn’s (aka Sharkman) time with SSACN has ended as his contract has expired. James is moving on to further…
- Gordon’s Guide to the SSTP Tagging Card
  July 24, 2010, 09:53
  Hi, The purpose of this article is to try and explain why each piece of info requested on the Tagging Card ( available here in pdf ) is important to the…
- Great use of length/weight charts
  July 8, 2011, 12:24
  Now here’s a great use of the length/weight charts available from the SSTP Events page as a pdf download. It comes from an email from the Loch Ryan SAC and…
- Great Whites in UK waters?
  October 12, 2010, 08:59
  Adapted from this this article from 'Angling Times' There are Great White sharks swimming and feeding in British waters today. That is the opinion of…
- Greater protection for Scotland’s sharks
  June 23, 2011, 17:40
  Press release from the Scottish Government. New rules are being drafted to increase protection of vulnerable species of shark, skate and ray in Scotland.…
- Halt shark decline call
  June 12, 2009, 19:56
  LABOUR CALLS FOR HALT IN DECLINE OF SHARK NUMBERS As a shark tagging exercise gets underway in the Solway this weekend, Scottish Labour’s Elaine Murray has…
- Hammers, tigers, cows and scallops
  September 6, 2009, 17:13
  The scallop industry on both the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards of the USA has just about collapsed as a result of excessive shark (specifically the hammerhead…
- Handgrips in skate
  December 18, 2011, 10:25
  Any idea what caused the wound in the following photo ? No ! Well, skate and rays are common bycatch in many trawled fisheries; to return the fish to…
- Happy Birthday
  November 14, 2011, 20:41
  Gordon with a 134lb common skate caught exactly one year after he had initially tagged it. One of the other boats fishing on Sunday also recaught a fish…
- Happy to help with the programme
  April 27, 2010, 19:53
  Last weekend, the SSTP joined a number of anglers around the Sound of Jura in one the SSACN organised events. The aim of the weekend was to tag and release as…
- Have you any skate photos ?
  November 16, 2011, 16:29
  There are now several projects underway into the elasmobranchs in Scottish Waters. For one of these, David Cooper, a PhD student of Glasgow University,…
- Haven for undulate rays
  December 22, 2010, 15:22
  Original article here. A haven for one of Dorset’s most endangered marine animals has been discovered in Swanage and Studland bays. The area has…
- Help raise funds – shop online
  November 27, 2009, 11:06
  Shop via www.easyfundraising.org.uk and support SSACN. You can raise funds for SSACN when you shop online at any of 2000 of the UK's best-known retailers…
- Herald spurdog tagging
  November 29, 2008, 09:06
  In today's Sunday Herald there is a full page regarding spurdog and the SSACN tagging programme - the full text may be found at http://tinyurl.com/5qb5yj but…
- Historic Scotland marine consultations
  November 4, 2011, 13:23
  Historic Scotland has launched public consultations on: a strategy for the protection, management and promotion of marine heritage 2011-16, and…
- How Nuclear Bombs May Play a Role in Basking Shark Conservation
  January 31, 2012, 16:18
  A fascinating article by Li Ling Hamady of the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography explains how scientists have found a “silver lining to mushroom…
- ICCAT leaves sharks at risk
  November 25, 2008, 10:19
  The only body capable of setting Atlantic-wide catch limits for sharks today ended its week-long annual meeting without adopting meaningful protections for…
- Input to Sea Angling Strategy Group
  October 7, 2009, 15:29
  Following the launch of the study into the economic impact of sea angling, Cabinet Secretary Lochhead committed to the creation of a RSA Strategy Group to…
- Invite from COAST
  May 24, 2009, 14:07
  Dear COAST members & supporters I would like to invite you along to the UK premier of The End of the Line film on June the 8th at the Glasgow…
- Irelands Smoothhounds
  October 5, 2010, 08:43
  Condensed from an article on UnderwaterTimes.com They grow to over a meter in length, can weigh up to twelve kilos and each summer they swarm into the shallow…
- Islay Tope Festival 2010
  August 12, 2010, 11:26
  Islay hosts an annual tope fishing event dubbed the "Islay Tope Fishing Festival". This is an open event for any anglers interested in taking part, please note…
- James features in SNH magazine
  September 29, 2010, 09:57
  In the autumn edition of SNH’s magazine ‘The Nature of Scotland’ there is a very good article featuring our own James Thorburn and the work of the…
- July 2011 Newsletter
  July 24, 2011, 09:28
  For this edition we have a new Editor - Julie Hope - who joined us just recently as our new SSTP Project Coordinator – download it here. This last quarter…
- Kayak Angler Towed Over Half a Mile by 65lb Tope
  September 30, 2011, 16:21
  A man sea-fishing from a kayak was left wishing he had a bigger boat when he was dragged for half a mile after hooking a 6ft (1.8m) shark. Rupert Kirkwood,…
- Latest SSACN Newsletter
  July 21, 2010, 12:59
  Now available here (pdf) - a round up of some of SSACN's activities to date this year. The newsletter focuses on two major projects – The Scottish Shark…
- Lauren on Location
  March 28, 2010, 16:24
  Lauren Smith, who has made a significant contribution to the SSTP has taken a 3 month sabbatical from her current research position and will shortly be heading…
- Lauren on Location – Aberdeen to Manila
  April 17, 2010, 17:32
  By the time it came to leave Aberdeen on the 5th of April, I was literally bursting at the seams (the luggage and myself!). Finally the adventure was here and…
- Less than 1% of Atlantic sharks protected
  November 15, 2011, 13:11
  According to an Oceana report only a tiny fraction of Atlantic sharks – less than 1% – are under protection even though most shark species are heading…
- Less than a week to Sharkatag
  June 19, 2011, 08:41
  Join the many other anglers fishing marks around the Solway looking to catch, tag and/or record data regarding a variety of shark species including tope,…
- Loch Etive ICZM Public Consultation
  October 8, 2010, 15:41
  A six week public consultation on the draft Loch Etive ICZM Plan has been launched which runs to Friday 19 November 2010. The consultation has been advertised…
- Lochhead supports amendment to ban finning
  October 13, 2010, 13:33
  Cabinet Secretary Lochhead is urging Scottish MEPs to sign up to a European Parliament written declaration to remove current loopholes which make European…
- LoL - The end of the rainbow
  June 24, 2010, 14:38
  It would be fair to say I was in love with Palau before I had even left the Philippines, this had been born from various conversations I had had with diver’s…
- Long distance spurdog and tope
  May 4, 2011, 15:32
  Just recently we have had tags returned for two long distance swimming sharks. The first was a spurdog which was originally tagged on…
- Longliners Must Now Return Tope
  January 30, 2012, 14:09
  Commercial fishermen using longlines, which are thought to take a huge amount of tope bycatch, must now return tope (and other sharks) to the sea unharmed in…
- Luce Bay Consultation
  August 27, 2011, 12:13
  The Scottish government is holding a consultation regarding proposed management plans for the Luce Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC); it is based on…
- Manta Ray fin soup
  May 25, 2009, 19:17
  Conservationists fear a falling shark population is prompting Asian chefs to look for manta and devil rays to help meet the voracious demand for shark fin…
- Measure it !
  July 5, 2011, 19:51
  Caught a good fish ? – Want to know what it weighs ? Forget the spring balance - just measure its total length ! Weighing a fish by measuring its…
- Meet the new SSTP Project Coordinator
  May 30, 2011, 09:29
  Meet Julie Hope – our new SSTP Project Coordinator. Julie first became involved with conservation work whilst being a volunteer teacher in Africa. …
- Members meeting
  June 25, 2010, 10:02
  There will be an open Members meeting on Thursday 1st July at the Royal Marine Reserve facilities at Govan, Glasgow, G51 3JH. On the agenda will be a general…
- Moray Firth windfarms
  November 22, 2011, 11:05
  The Moray Firth Partnership, one of 7 around Scotland's coasts, is helping to publicise a series of public information events regarding the proposed offshore…
- MPA and Conservation Strategy Responses required
  April 27, 2010, 15:06
  With the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 now in place, the Scottish Government is now in the business of implementing the act. The Government’s Marine…
- MPA selection guidelines
  February 21, 2011, 10:16
  The Scottish Government has just published guidelines for the selection of Marine Protected Areas. Background The Marine (Scotland) Act and the UK Marine and…
- Nehrops gear modification trials
  February 9, 2011, 13:58
  The twin-rig otter-trawl fishery for Nephrops is of significant economic importance, particularly on the west of Scotland, but as the fishery uses an 80 mm…
- New App Lets Users Track Tagged Great Whites
  January 20, 2012, 16:48
  A U.S conservation organisation has released an app that allows iPhone and iPad users to track the movement of several Great White Sharks fitted with satellite…
- New basking shark leaflet
  February 23, 2010, 15:28
  A new leaflet and wall chart are available about Basking Sharks which has been produced by the SNH following their report : "Basking Shark Hotspots on…
- New record time for a tope recapture
  August 2, 2010, 10:56
  This weekend saw a new record for the time between initial tagging and recapture of a tope – 4 years and 38 days ! The fish, a 36lb male, was caught very…
- New Year – New Thinking ?
  December 30, 2010, 13:00
  To welcome in the New Year we have asked a number of people across a broad range of interests (fishermen, politicians, scientists etc) to give us their views…
- No more shark in UK fish and chips
  March 12, 2010, 15:27
  Condensed from and article by Louise Gray – Telegraph.co.uk Spiny dogfish, a fish and chip shop staple sold in Britain for decades, is to disappear from our…
- Not a lot of bull
  January 17, 2012, 16:15
  Bull sharks are renowned for their ability to tolerate fresh water (the Bull Shark has been recorded some 2,600 miles (4,200 kilometres) upriver from the mouth…
- Oban – Festival of the sea
  April 22, 2010, 14:29
  Oban is to host a major new 10 day event, celebrating ‘Argyll’s dazzling marine environment’ and inviting everyone to come and join the adventure. The…
- Oceana urges EU to ammend finning ban
  February 22, 2011, 21:47
  Oceana has strongly urged the EC to amend the EU shark finning ban by requiring all sharks to be landed with their fins still attached. The existing regulation…
- Off on her holidays
  November 22, 2011, 11:27
  We’ve just had a recapture notified to us from a commercial vessel. Tag no 6982 was caught and released 9 miles off the North Devon coast by the FV…
- Offshore Wind SEA and Draft Plan events - January 2011
  December 30, 2010, 11:54
  The Scottish Government is holding a series of follow-up workshops on the outcomes of the consultation on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and…
- Onlinefishing TV Sharkatag show
  September 3, 2009, 08:58
  Andy Ford joins the anglers involved in Sharkatag, an important Scottish Sea Anglers Conservation Network event that highlights the need for shark, ray and…
- Orkney Skate Trust
  June 30, 2010, 07:35
  The rich, diverse marine environment around Orkney – made up of some 70 islands – is one of the last remaining strongholds for Flapper Skate (Dipturus…
- Orkney Wave Farm Consultation
  September 10, 2011, 11:29
  Brough Head Wave Farm Ltd (BHWFL) has an “Agreement for Lease” from the Crown Estate for an area of seabed off the west and north coasts of Mainland Orkney…
- Palau sanctuary
  September 29, 2009, 09:15
  Palau is to create the world's first "shark sanctuary", banning all commercial shark fishing in its waters according to the president of the tiny…
- Politicians ignore advice–again.
  October 2, 2011, 13:26
  Once again conservation efforts have been over-ridden by political interests. At last week’s annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization…
- Pure Fishing Tackle Voucher Competition!
  February 10, 2012, 14:04
  For your chance to win a £25 Pure Fishing tackle voucher follow the link below and tag yourself in the photo posted on the SSTP’s Facebook page! A winner…
- Report highlights Spurdog stock issues
  November 16, 2010, 10:06
  A Background Document on the Spurdog Squalus acanthias has been developed by OSPAR following the inclusion of this species on the OSPAR List of…
- Rigging up for spurdog
  June 8, 2010, 11:44
  Of all the species of shark regularly encountered around the UK, the Spurdog (Squalas Acanthias) is one of the easiest to identify, namely due to the large…
- School Visits
  October 4, 2011, 18:07
  SSACN are very keen to help educate Scottish children about the various species of fish and their natural environments in their local waters. So far our…
- Scientists helped by sharks at Sea Life
  October 10, 2011, 12:55
  SHARKS at Scarborough Sea Life Centre are set to help scientists unravel the mysteries of ancient seas. That will be the goal of a major research project…
- Scottish Marine Region – Consultation
  October 26, 2011, 18:57
  The Scottish Government published a consultation paper Scottish Marine Regions - Defining their Boundaries on 23rd November 2010 and written responses were…
- Scottish Sharks
  April 17, 2009, 10:37
  In Scottish waters, sharks like the porbeagle and spurdog were once relatively common, but are now classed as “critically endangered”; spurdog, also…
- Scottish sharks endangered
  February 28, 2009, 10:24
  according to Cabinet Secretary Lochhead “Our scientists tell us that some shark populations are critically endangered, and we need to respond to that…
- SEA LIFE centres support shark week
  October 8, 2009, 09:19
  In support of European Shark Week, Loch Lomond Aquarium SEA LIFE Centre Aquarium will be introducing a new talk dedicated to sharks to help raise awareness of…
- Shark & ray - potential tourist industry
  September 16, 2010, 17:45
  Extracts from Wildlife Extra News September 2010 Shark and ray watching could bring significant economic benefits to UK coastal communities, says leading…
- Shark Action Plan
  April 24, 2009, 10:30
  Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead today welcomed the decision to adopt the European Union's Shark Action Plan. Speaking from the Fisheries Council in…
- Shark Conservation Act Becomes Law
  January 7, 2011, 16:21
  Modified from here "The Shark Conservation Act has finally become law, giving much-needed protection to some of the ocean’s most magnificent creatures. …
- Shark CPOA overview
  May 21, 2009, 11:14
  For over ten years, shark conservation groups have been lobbying the European Commission (EC) to devise a coherent approach to shark management; finally, last…
- Shark fin soup
  February 6, 2009, 10:21
  Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy in Asia and can retail for anything between 1,000 and 10,000 dollars per kilogram in China. A third of all the fins…
- Shark Fin soup
  September 7, 2009, 08:51
  The basic facts you need to know about shark fin soup Shark fin is just cartilage, so the soup-as-food product's taste depends on the stock and additives,…
- Shark finning a high priority
  May 8, 2009, 15:10
  Europe’s threatened sharks were thrown a lifeline today as the European Council announced their conclusions and priority actions regarding the Community…
- Shark Finning video
  September 29, 2010, 11:24
  The link below takes you to an interesting video highlighting the need to ban shark finning. It could happen in our life time, sharks could become extinct…
- Shark free marina programme
  May 19, 2009, 17:49
  The Shark-Marina has a singular purpose, to reduce worldwide shark mortality. Today the not-for-profit company launches its strategy which intends to…
- Shark Social Networks
  February 21, 2012, 17:00
  Sharks have a reputation for being ruthless, solitary predators, but evidence is mounting that certain species enjoy complex social lives that include…
- Shark species threatened
  June 26, 2008, 09:09
  Brest, France: The Shark Alliance welcomes today’s decision by the OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Northeast Atlantic to…
- Shark Trade Limits Endorsed by EU
  September 24, 2009, 19:20
  Germany wins EU blessing to propose spiny dogfish and porbeagle sharks for listing under CITES SSACN are delighted at Monday’s decision by European Union…
- Sharkatag 2009
  December 17, 2008, 09:57
  Sharkatag 2009 has finished - the event ran from the 12th to the 14th of June – its main aims were to tag as many fish as possible from the shore and boat;…
- Sharkatag 2009
  July 23, 2009, 19:43
  How successful was it ? Sharkatag 2009 was a very special event. Over 200 anglers of all capabilities from all over the UK descended on the Solway to combine…
- Sharkatag 2009 results
  August 1, 2009, 10:04
  The venue for Sharkatag 2009 was the western end of The Solway in South West Scotland and the event ran from the 12th to the 14th of June. Key Points 175…
- Sharkatag 2009 results
  August 27, 2009, 20:11
  The venue for Sharkatag 2009 was the western end of The Solway in South West Scotland and the event ran from the 12th to the 14th of June. Key Points 175…
- Sharkatag 2010 day 1
  June 19, 2010, 10:23
  A mixed day to kick off Sharkatag – some really good fish taken offshore but catches inshore were more variable – some boats managing to take 4 or 5…
- Sharkatag 2010 day 2
  June 19, 2010, 21:54
  Sharkatag 2010 is now well under way and an improvement in the weather has resulted in much improved catches with reasonable numbers of tope, bull huss,…
- Sharkatag 2011
  April 12, 2011, 10:11
  The next SSTP Special Event is Sharkatag 2011 to be held 24/25/26 June 2011 - see this page for more information. This year we are expecting it to be bigger…
- Sharkatag 2011 – A quick review
  June 29, 2011, 09:58
  Once again Sharkatag received terrific support with anglers fishing from over 50 boats and, reflecting the growth of this sector of our sport, a new record 20+…
- Sharkatag as a learning aid
  February 7, 2011, 18:41
  Great news – in a first for SSACN we have been invited by the prestigious Scuola Lingue Estere dell'Esercito (Army Foreign Language School) in Perugia…
- Sharkatag info pack
  June 20, 2011, 08:41
  Only 5 days till Sharkatag 2011 !!! The information pack is now available for download. Those attending Sharkatag will off course be given a full…
- Sharkatag juniors on BBC / CBBC
  July 3, 2010, 10:38
  During Sharkatag the CBBC / BBC Newsround programme did a item for their programme where the interviewer ‘Leah’ went out in one of the boats along with…
- Sharkatag on Fishing TV –watch for free
  October 2, 2011, 08:40
  Andy Ford of onlinefishing.tv joined Willy Kennedy and Stuart Cresswell and other anglers involved in SSACN’s Sharkatag (2009) who show him the ropes…
- Sharkatag on Sea Watch UK
  May 18, 2009, 15:56
  The next episode of ‘Sea Watch UK’ - the only TV show made exclusively for the UK’s sea angling community -will cover SSACN's Sharkatag 2009 event…
- Sharkatag on STV
  June 21, 2010, 20:42
  You can see the STV report interviewing Ian Burrett regarding Sharkatag here on their website , the segment starts at 05.00 into the programme and continues to…
- Sharkatag photo call
  June 21, 2010, 10:10
  A number of photos from this years Sharkatag can be see on this page. More will be added as they are sent in, so if you took part and have some, please email…
- Sharkatag recognised in World Ocean’s Day debate
  June 4, 2010, 08:57
  Stuart McMillan MSP, (SNP) recently spoke in the Scottish Parliament chamber to promote the upcoming World Oceans Day which raises awareness of the oceans of…
- Sharkatag Update
  June 8, 2009, 11:11
  Though Sharkatag 2009 is neither a competition nor a commercial event it has attracted a terrific number of dedicated, conservation minded sea anglers from…
- Sharkatag2010
  November 27, 2009, 12:21
  Sharkatag 2010 is over. It ran from the 18th to the 20th of June and as usual the main target was tope with rays, huss and hounds also expected to feature. …
- Sharks in Scotland’s Marine Atlas
  March 20, 2011, 10:06
  An atlas of Scotland’s seas – providing a visual representation of its competing uses, productivity and health – has been compiled for the first…
- Sharks in the Baltic
  May 15, 2008, 10:11
  A new report on sharks and related species in the Baltic Sea from the Shark Alliance highlights the threats to these over-looked fish and calls for improved…
- SIFT launched
  September 17, 2011, 19:18
  Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (SIFT) is a Scottish charity founded in 2011 SIFT believe that despite the importance of inshore waters, their management…
- Sign up for Tagathon2009
  September 24, 2009, 10:46
  The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme is delighted to announce the launch of the second annual Spurdog Tagathon. The tagging event is part of our ongoing…
- Skate from the shore
  September 26, 2010, 09:43
  Damian Greenwood and business partner Morgan Rothwell were on a fishing trip in Scotland when they caught, and returned, five large skate. The fish were all…
- Skate Tagathon 2011
  November 12, 2010, 10:10
  Full details of the 2011 Skate Tagathon have now been released, they can be found here. You can still download the poster in pdf format from here.
- Skate Tagathon 2011 photos
  April 9, 2011, 14:20
  Some really special photos in the Skate Tagathon gallery. This one shows 13 year old Jack Hope with his first Common Skate – it weighed in at…
- Skate Tagathon update
  April 10, 2011, 19:16
  Day one saw some fantastic action in the Sound of Jura with ten boats and two kayaks taking 26 Common Skate to 210lb ..... regional press, Visit Scotland…
- Skate Tagathon update sheet
  April 1, 2011, 09:25
  The Special Event’s Team have just released their latest set of update notes for the upcoming Skate Tagathon; they may be downloaded in pdf form from here.
- Smallest ever whale shark ?
  January 10, 2010, 14:28
  From the Sky News page at http://tinyurl.com/yhdzcqf The world's smallest ever whale shark has reportedly been discovered in waters off the eastern Philippine…
- Snowy the shark arrives at Loch Lomond Aquarium
  April 15, 2010, 10:44
  A GUITAR shark is the first of its kind to settle in Scotland – and it’s loving its new home at the Loch Lomond Aquarium. Hailing from the Western…
- Spanish prohibit capture of thresher and hammerhead
  September 30, 2009, 09:38
  Spain’s Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM) will prohibit the capture of thresher sharks and scalloped hammerhead sharks – by means…
- Spotted Ray – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 31, 2011, 17:20
  Today we look at the Spotted Ray in the seventh of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Spotted Ray and want to show it…
- Spurdog – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 13, 2011, 10:57
  Today we look at the Spurdog in the third of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Spurdog and want to show it off on…
- Spurdog Fact File
  September 16, 2010, 18:24
  Spurdog are one of the focus species of the SSTP’s tagging efforts and are the primary target of SSACN’s Tagathon weekend which takes place annually in…
- Spurdog Recaptures
  November 28, 2009, 19:39
  Two spurdog were recaptured today in Loch Sunart; one carried a UKSTP tag and we are currently trying to get data on that. The other carried a SSTP tag having…
- Spurdog Tagathon 2011 newsletter
  November 22, 2011, 10:48
  The post event newsletter is now available for download. We would particularly like to thank all those who came along to fish the event,especially those who…
- Spurdog Tagathon 2011 Welcome pack
  November 1, 2011, 09:50
  SSACN’s Event Team would like to welcome back to all those seasoned Tagathon anglers and all the new faces joining in this year to help tag as many fish as…
- SSACN AGM
  February 3, 2012, 15:32
  Though our first attempt to hold the AGM was scuppered by the weather, this time, despite all frost, ice and odd bit of snow, a goodly number made it and we…
- SSACN AGM and subscriptions
  October 20, 2011, 19:17
  The AGM this year will be held on the 8th December at the Royal Marine Reserve HQ, 37 - 51 Birkmyre Road, Govan, Glasgow, G51 3JH - it will start at…
- SSACN AGM–Cancelled
  December 8, 2011, 13:05
  Tonight's (8/12/11) AGM has been cancelled because of the storm force winds that are due for the region today and the to the long distances many members need…
- SSACN receive funding for Shark Officer
  November 8, 2009, 13:24
  Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Argyll and the Islands LEADER Programme have put together a funding package which will enable us to take our Scottish…
- SSACN Tagathon 13/14 November
  October 8, 2010, 10:07
  To make this event a success we once again need your help. So please consider coming along with your mates, your boat and/or your beach casters to help us…
- SSTP at the Glasgow Angling Centre Open Weekend 2011
  October 11, 2011, 13:45
  The weekend of the 24th of September saw Glasgow Angling Centre host another very successful open weekend. The event attracted anglers in droves to meet some…
- SSTP Progress Report – December 2011
  December 22, 2011, 12:28
  Welcome to the December 2011 issue of the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP) Newsletter which highlights some of the key moments in another successful…
- SSTP Project Coordinator Vacancy
  April 5, 2011, 19:11
  SSACN have a vacancy for a SSTP Project Coordinator Last year we were very fortunate to receive funding support from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the…
- SSTP Project Officer vacancy (p/t)
  May 22, 2011, 10:03
  SSACN have a vacancy for a SSTP Project Officer (P/T) to be based in the Dumfries and Galloway region. The successful candidate will work alongside our…
- SSTP recommended tagging sizes
  November 8, 2009, 10:14
  In the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme we are tagging and collecting data for the following species; tope, smoothhound, spurdog, bull huss, rays and common…
- SSTP update in Reading Room
  December 19, 2010, 13:50
  The December update on the progress of the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP) is now available in the Reading Room. The SSTP relies heavily on the…
- SSTP uses Sealife to gain new images!
  April 10, 2010, 09:38
  The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme recently went to the Oban Sealife centre to gain some new images of sharks and skates in the water for promotional…
- Starry Smoothhound – Fishing and ID Guide
  December 16, 2011, 13:24
  Today we look at the Starry Smoothhound in the ninth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Starry Smoothhound and…
- Status of the Shark–Infographic
  February 4, 2012, 13:32
  Here is a fine example of an infographic from the Discovery Channel. Note :: It is quite a large image so may take a while to download.
- Stop Finning poster
  January 25, 2011, 15:25
  Angling Times is this week calling on its army of readers to be help save sharks from the cruel and unsustainable practice of shark finning. Following…
- Stress in rays and skates
  September 29, 2010, 18:19
  While tagging is important, the survival of the fish ALWAYS takes priority. Returning the fish as soon as possible minimizes the stress to the animal.…
- Sweden fully protects spurdog
  April 3, 2011, 08:43
  Making spurdog a fully protected species, the Swedish Board of Fisheries is banning all catches of the threatened shark even with handheld gear. The EU…
- Swine flu threatens sharks
  January 14, 2010, 10:16
  The effects of the swine flu upon sharks is not a direct one - these animals are not finding themselves coming down with cases of H1N1 like humans and other…
- Tag Recording Card ready for download
  June 6, 2010, 10:10
  The updated SSTP recording card is now available for download in pdf form. You may either print it to normal paper and send it in an envelope to the address…
- Tagathon 2010
  June 23, 2010, 18:22
  Next up in the SSTP’s tagging events is Tagathon 2010. This will take place on the 13th and 14th November and run from two usual venues, namely Loch…
- Tagathon on BBC Out of Doors
  November 15, 2009, 17:23
  Listen to SSTP’s Ian Burrett talking about Tagathon on this weekends BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors programme at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nwsgy…
- Tagging porbeagle
  July 7, 2010, 08:31
  The Marine Institute (MI) in County Galway is working together with anglers to study the migration and diving behaviour of Porbeagle sharks (Lamna nasus) in…
- Talking sharks in Italy
  February 13, 2011, 10:45
  Denis Kelly, SSACN’s Secretary is visiting to the prestigious Scuola Lingue Estere dell’Esercito (Army Foreign Language School) in Perugia Italy to…
- The Defra Shark, Skate and Ray conservation plan
  March 11, 2011, 14:20
  The Defra Shark, Skate and Ray conservation plan explains the role of elasmobranchs in the ecosystem, their characteristics, and the pressures facing them. It…
- The Giants of the Ocean
  April 19, 2010, 09:10
  LOL – Lauren on Location – Lauren gambles with the ATM and gets to swim with whale sharks. After a good nights sleep in Manila I was back in the Airport…
- The Islay tope festival
  August 31, 2010, 16:01
  The Islay Tope Festival was a huge success with over 70 anglers attending the weekend out of Bowmore. 11 tope were tagged and released as well as many that…
- The last British Angel
  July 17, 2010, 09:04
  Update :: THE Marine Management Organisation (MMO) the fishing watchdog for England and Wales has presented the Natural History Museum in Plymouth with a…
- The Not Forgotten Event
  July 27, 2010, 21:10
  This post is extracted from a report written by Captain Andy Bridson who put on a charity fishing event for the Not Forgotten Association which provides…
- The One Show tagging spurdog
  March 18, 2011, 09:44
  Just in case you missed it - James Thorburn, Gordon and Sarah Goldie and David McNair made an appearance on The One Show last night highlighting the work of…
- The Origins of Shark Tagging Programmes
  December 2, 2011, 16:15
  In comparison to fish tagging as a whole, shark tagging is a relatively recent activity. Shark tagging really began with the development of plastic Peterson…
- The spirit of Sharkatag
  June 26, 2011, 18:17
  We had a terrific time at Sharkatag. It was truly brilliant. Not a lot of fish but great enjoyment. As requested I have attached a few photographs…
- The Thornback Ray’s Coat of Many Colours
  November 15, 2011, 17:20
  The Thornback Ray (Raja clavata) is an extremely popular species that is targeted and tagged by many anglers in Scotland; at times it is also the source of…
- Thornback Queen
  October 14, 2010, 11:09
  Sarah Goldie recently went fishing with her dad Gordon on Tickey Boo II. They ventured out into Loch Sunart and Sarah got a bit more than she bargained for!…
- Thornback Ray – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 10, 2011, 14:34
  In the second of our Species Fishing and ID guides we look at the ever popular Thornback Ray. These guides aim to give anglers information about the biology of…
- Thresher Shark sighting near the Isle of Man
  September 9, 2011, 13:25
  A warden from the Calf of Man has reported sighting a thresher shark in Manx waters. Simon Davies was monitoring sea birds when he saw the shark through…
- Top Taggers
  July 21, 2010, 12:20
  Most tagging schemes offer a small reward to anyone who reports the details of any initial / recapture tagging data. The SSTP has decided to award fishing caps…
- Tope – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 19, 2011, 13:10
  Today we look at the Tope in the fifth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Tope and want to show it off on this…
- Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) confirmed after review
  March 14, 2011, 19:47
  In 2008 measures were introduced to protect tope, a vulnerable European continental-shelf and coastal shark species. Tope do not mature until they are…
- Tope recapture
  November 28, 2009, 10:55
  John Spiers has just recaptured a male tope off Corsewall lighthouse (nr Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway) in 46 metres of water. The fish was…
- Travelling and Training
  April 20, 2010, 09:21
  LOL – Lauren on Location – Lauren makes her way to Thresher Shark Research and Conservation Project (TSRCP), based on Malapascua Island, off the North East…
- Trump’s view more important than tope
  December 9, 2010, 09:46
  Donald Trump is objecting to a proposed windfarm off the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire as he believes the turbines would spoil the view from his proposed golf…
- Two Days Afloat in Loch Sunart
  January 27, 2012, 15:10
  By Gordon Goldie With the higher than normal winds curtailing a lot of boat fishing pretty much since the Tagathon event in November, I’d been dying to…
- Two Exciting Recaptures!
  February 10, 2012, 11:58
  Scottish Tope caught off Portugal On the 26th of January 2012 Tope #3044 was captured off the coast of Portugal, she was originally tagged in Luce Bay at the…
- Two terrific smoothies
  June 7, 2011, 09:19
  Two of the largest smoothhound ever seen in Scottish waters were recently tagged and released by members of the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP) fishing…
- UN asked to regulate shark fin trade
  March 22, 2010, 11:36
  Exploding Asian demand for shark fin soup has slashed worldwide shark populations, and global regulation is the best way to save eight species now under…
- Underwater Footage of Common Skate
  January 19, 2012, 14:35
  Below is some excellent underwater footage of a large male common skate recorded in January 2012 in 60m of water off the Black Craig, Orkney. The footage was…
- United States dogfish fishery starts sustainability assessment
  August 4, 2010, 14:45
  The U.S.began a full assemsent of the Spurdog (Squalus acanthius) fishery today in line with the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) certification programme…
- Update - Common Skate Acoustic Tagging Project in the Sound of Jura.
  October 14, 2011, 19:02
  The Marine Lab are offering a £100 reward for the return of their data tags along with details of where the fish was caught. Only the white tags should be…
- Update: “Sores” on Tagged Skate
  November 24, 2011, 14:17
  Last month some anglers had expressed concern about “sores” around the tag site on recaptured common skate. In the article posted here we discussed…
- Valentine’s day smoothie
  February 16, 2012, 16:10
  An update from the guys at Sportfishing the Netherlands. Last year they started a smoothhound tagging programme and on Valentine’s day they were informed…
- Victims fight for sharks
  July 16, 2009, 08:46
  Yesterday a group of nine advocates were in Washington D.C. to promote the Shark Conservation Act -- a piece of legislation that would strengthen the ban on…
- Volunteer Oppurtunity
  July 5, 2010, 14:18
  The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP) is looking for volunteers to help it with its ongoing work over the summer. Volunteers will be expected to…
- World Conference on Marine Biodiversity
  July 9, 2010, 08:47
  From their website Vision The oceans provide an irreplaceable resource to humankind which must be protected and managed into the future. The impact of…
Category: Shark Tales (7)
Background articles regarding sharks, their role as predators, common misconceptions and inhumane practices
- “Sores” on Tagged Sharks
  October 25, 2011, 15:00
  Recently, some anglers have reported ‘sores’ at tag sites on recaptured Common Skate. Below we explain the impact that tagging has to the body of…
- A History of Tagging
  November 29, 2011, 13:36
  In this segment we will cover the history of fish tagging from its origins in the early 1600’s up to modern day shark tagging projects. For centuries…
- Apex predator to Soup
  May 9, 2009, 13:17
  The waters around the UK are regularly visited by up to twenty one different species of Shark throughout the year. The Supreme Apex Predator: Sharks have…
- Background reading
  May 9, 2009, 12:33
  Sharks are one of the nature's greatest predator and highly intelligent species, they have a social hierarchy system, possess problem-solving skills and are…
- Did you know ?
  May 9, 2009, 12:47
  Sharks are really fascinating creatures! Feared by mankind for their fierce eating habits and their vicious look, but still are we so intrigued by this…
- Electronic and Satellite Tags
  November 30, 2011, 13:13
  In part 2 of the “History of Tagging” segment we look at the development and use of electronic tags. The development of electronic tags opened up…
- Two Days Afloat in Loch Sunart
  January 27, 2012, 15:10
  By Gordon Goldie With the higher than normal winds curtailing a lot of boat fishing pretty much since the Tagathon event in November, I’d been dying to…
Category: sharkatag poster (1)
- Sharkatag 2011
  January 31, 2011, 11:37
  The information pack is now available for download. Those attending Sharkatag will off course be given a full printed version when they pick up tags,…
Category: Tutorials (24)
How to catch the species, fish handling, codes of practice, angling methods, tackle, traces etc
- Avoiding stress in rays and skates
  September 29, 2010, 18:30
  While tagging is important, the survival of the fish ALWAYS takes priority. Returning the fish as soon as possible minimizes the stress to the animal.…
- Blackmouth Dogfish – Fishing and ID Guide
  December 19, 2011, 16:39
  Today we look at the Blackmouth Dogfish in the tenth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Blackmouth Dogfish and…
- Blonde Ray – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 24, 2011, 13:53
  Today we look at the Blonde Ray in the sixth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Blonde Ray and want to show it off…
- Bull Huss – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 7, 2011, 10:33
  This post represents the first in a series of elasmobranch identification and fishing guides that will be posted by the SSTP. These guides aim to give anglers…
- Catching Tope
  May 16, 2009, 12:24
  By Ian Burrett Where to Look Tope like features or structures, so look for reefs, deep hollows, trenches etc. Back Eddies around headlands are my favourite…
- Common Skate – Code of best practice
  February 9, 2011, 12:48
  This code has been written in conjunction with some of Scotland’s top “Catch and Release” recreational sea anglers with the specific aim of helping you…
- Common Skate – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 17, 2011, 14:43
  Today we look at the Common Skate in the fourth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Common Skate and want to show…
- Common Skate Rig
  February 8, 2011, 16:16
  Images and pattern kindly supplied by Les McBride The main feature about the rig is the extremely short hook length of just 12-14 inches. Not only does this…
- Cuckoo Ray – Fishing and ID Guide
  November 3, 2011, 12:20
  Today we look at the Cuckoo Ray in the eighth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Cuckoo Ray and want to show it…
- Gordon’s Guide to the SSTP Tagging Card
  July 24, 2010, 09:53
  Hi, The purpose of this article is to try and explain why each piece of info requested on the Tagging Card ( available here in pdf ) is important to the…
- Loch Etive small boat launch guide.
  October 11, 2011, 16:36
  For boat anglers, there is only really one launch site at Loch Etive and that is to the right of Kelly’s Pier, Taynuilt (GPS N56deg 26’ 22.24” W005deg…
- Plastic dart guidelines
  May 16, 2009, 09:40
  The well being of the fish we catch has to be our principle concern. Whilst sharks may look big and tough creatures they are actually quite delicate,…
- Rigging up for spurdog
  June 8, 2010, 11:44
  Of all the species of shark regularly encountered around the UK, the Spurdog (Squalas Acanthias) is one of the easiest to identify, namely due to the large…
- Shark ID Card
  December 5, 2009, 17:01
  The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme’s shark identification card shows 12 of the most common sharks, skates and rays in Scottish waters. To get your copy of…
- Spotted Ray – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 31, 2011, 17:20
  Today we look at the Spotted Ray in the seventh of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Spotted Ray and want to show it…
- Spurdog – code of best practice
  May 16, 2009, 09:34
  Introduction The spurdog or spiny dogfish has been fished beyond safe biological levels and are classed as critically endangered so please treat any fish…
- Spurdog – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 13, 2011, 10:57
  Today we look at the Spurdog in the third of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Spurdog and want to show it off on…
- Spurdog Fact File
  September 16, 2010, 18:24
  Spurdog are one of the focus species of the SSTP’s tagging efforts and are the primary target of SSACN’s Tagathon weekend which takes place annually in…
- SSTP recommended tagging sizes
  November 8, 2009, 10:14
  In the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme we are tagging and collecting data for the following species; tope, smoothhound, spurdog, bull huss, rays and common…
- Starry Smoothhound – Fishing and ID Guide
  December 16, 2011, 13:24
  Today we look at the Starry Smoothhound in the ninth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Starry Smoothhound and…
- Status of the Shark–Infographic
  February 4, 2012, 13:32
  Here is a fine example of an infographic from the Discovery Channel. Note :: It is quite a large image so may take a while to download.
- Thornback Ray – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 10, 2011, 14:34
  In the second of our Species Fishing and ID guides we look at the ever popular Thornback Ray. These guides aim to give anglers information about the biology of…
- Tope – Fishing and ID Guide
  October 19, 2011, 13:10
  Today we look at the Tope in the fifth of our Species Fishing and ID guides. If you have a picture of yourself with a Tope and want to show it off on this…
- Tope Handling - A code of best practise
  May 8, 2009, 18:01
  Approved by the NFSA, SACN, SFSA, Shark Trust and the UK shark tagging programme Introduction Whilst tope may look big and tough creatures they are actually…

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