Amongst other things, the European Community Plan of Action (CPOA) for sharks seeks to ensure

• Monitoring & assessment of recreational shark fishing mortality
• Species-specific evaluation & monitoring of shark population status
• Establishing time/area closures to protect shark pupping & nursery areas
• Further restricting or prohibiting fishing in critical habitats of endangered sharks.

and puts the emphasis on “member states” to gather the necessary data to ensure

• A deeper understanding of sharks & their role in ecosystems & fisheries
• Sustainable directed shark fisheries & properly regulated bycatch

Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead, the Scottish fisheries minister has been quoted as saying “Our scientists tell us that some shark populations are critically endangered, and we need to respond to that advice”.

Although many anglers have a deep understanding of sharks and their movements and have long recognised that there are issues with the stocks of many species, governments will only accept scientific data before they will consider implementing shark conservation policies.

Tagging is the only non-destructive assessment of sharks available which will help provide data such as :

• Species migrations
• Growth rates
• Population and stock make-up
• Stock fluctuations dynamics

As no scientific body can afford to pay scientists/marine biologists to effectively tag and release large numbers of fish, the SSTP has been formed to encourage anglers to get involved out of their love for the fish.