The Hour

A group of anglers have joined forces in a bid to pressure the government to do more to protect native Scottish sharks, a move which they say would benefit local economies.

The Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network (SSACN) is a volunteer force of 200 anglers, 70 boats and 25 kayakers who have been tagging tope, smoothound and spurdog sharks along the Solway Firth as part of Sharkatag 2009.

By gathering the data anglers say that they will be able to chart the growth rate, migration, non-natural predation, population and stock fluctuations of many of Scotland’s 18 types of shark.

According to the SSACN the need for shark, ray and skate conservation in Scottish waters is urgently needed to promote public awareness of sea angling and the contribution it has to the economies of many coastal communities.   

One participant said: “It’s important to us because the value of a dead one, it might get £20-30 quid at the fish market, if that, at the most. Alive, that fish can be caught again and again and again. It will bring money into the Scottish economy; people will come to this country, they’ll catch them. It’s great sport, but it’s also got a conservation side to it.

“These people will come to this area, they’ll stay in hotels, put petrol in their cars, they’ll use local businesses, they’ll buy their food locally, they’ll hire boats. So the money it’s worth to this area is worth a lot more than a couple of quid for a dead fish at the market.”