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    Cat Gordon & John Richardson 2015 Skate

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    Coastal Futures
    Skate populations in the Southwest Cat Gordon and John Richardson The Shark Trust, Plymouth, UK E: cat@sharktrust.org; john@sharktrust.org The waters surrounding England’s Southwest present an array of hydrographic regimes, bathymetry and substrate: from the shallow, muddy Severn Estuary to deeper continental shelf and slope waters of the Celtic Sea. The diversity of habitat created by these environmental variables hosts an equally impressive diversity of skate species, ranging from the enigmatic, large-bodied White Skate Rostroraja alba (max TL ~200cm) to the more diminutive Cuckoo Ray Leucoraja naevus (max TL 75cm). Often overlooked in favour of their more charismatic shark relatives, skate occupy key roles within the Southwest’s marine ecosystems. At the same time, skate have long been an important component within commercial fisheries, where they are caught using a variety of gear and continue to be landed into ports throughout the region. As a group, skate demonstrate a mixed resilience to commercial fisheries – although, as with all chondrichthyans, a suite of conservative biological traits make them significantly more vulnerable to over-exploitation. This is reflected in conservation status, with some larger-bodied species assessed as Critically Endangered, while those exhibiting reproductive rates more able to sustain fishing mortality are listed as Least Concern. In this talk, the Shark Trust will describe skate assemblage in Southwest waters, with a focus on distribution and abundance. Species’ varied roles and behaviour within the marine ecosystem will be discussed, as will differing vulnerability to fishing mortality. The extent of commercial fisheries will be outlined, including the relatively recent emergence of fisheries management. Finally, the Shark Trust’s involvement in the move towards more sustainable, managed fisheries will be covered, as will the Trust’s projects designed to raise public awareness of this often neglected group.

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    Cat Gordon & John Richardson 2015 Skate

    Uploaded by

    Coastal Futures
    1K views17 pages
    Skate populations in the Southwest Cat Gordon and John Richardson The Shark Trust, Plymouth, UK E: cat@sharktrust.org; john@sharktrust.org The waters surrounding England’s Southwest present an array of hydrographic regimes, bathymetry and substrate: from the shallow, muddy Severn Estuary to deeper continental shelf and slope waters of the Celtic Sea. The diversity of habitat created by these environmental variables hosts an equally impressive diversity of skate species, ranging from the enigmatic, large-bodied White Skate Rostroraja alba (max TL ~200cm) to the more diminutive Cuckoo Ray Leucoraja naevus (max TL 75cm). Often overlooked in favour of their more charismatic shark relatives, skate occupy key roles within the Southwest’s marine ecosystems. At the same time, skate have long been an important component within commercial fisheries, where they are caught using a variety of gear and continue to be landed into ports throughout the region. As a group, skate demonstrate a mixed resilience to commercial fisheries – although, as with all chondrichthyans, a suite of conservative biological traits make them significantly more vulnerable to over-exploitation. This is reflected in conservation status, with some larger-bodied species assessed as Critically Endangered, while those exhibiting reproductive rates more able to sustain fishing mortality are listed as Least Concern. In this talk, the Shark Trust will describe skate assemblage in Southwest waters, with a focus on distribution and abundance. Species’ varied roles and behaviour within the marine ecosystem will be discussed, as will differing vulnerability to fishing mortality. The extent of commercial fisheries will be outlined, including the relatively recent emergence of fisheries management. Finally, the Shark Trust’s involvement in the move towards more sustainable, managed fisheries will be covered, as will the Trust’s projects designed to raise public awareness of this often neglected group.

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    Skate populations in the Southwest Cat Gordon and John Richardson The Shark Trust, Plymouth, UK E: cat@sharktrust.org; john@sharktrust.org The waters surrounding England’s Southwest present an array of hydrographic regimes, bathymetry and substrate: from the shallow, muddy Severn Estuary to deeper continental shelf and slope waters of the Celtic Sea. The diversity of habitat created by these environmental variables hosts an equally impressive diversity of skate species, ranging from the enigmatic, large-bodied White Skate Rostroraja alba (max TL ~200cm) to the more diminutive Cuckoo Ray Leucoraja naevus (max TL 75cm). Often overlooked in favour of their more charismatic shark relatives, skate occupy key roles within the Southwest’s marine ecosystems. At the same time, skate have long been an important component within commercial fisheries, where they are caught using a variety of gear and continue to be landed into ports throughout the region. As a group, skate demonstrate a mixed resilience to commercial fisheries – although, as with all chondrichthyans, a suite of conservative biological traits make them significantly more vulnerable to over-exploitation. This is reflected in conservation status, with some larger-bodied species assessed as Critically Endangered, while those exhibiting reproductive rates more able to sustain fishing mortality are listed as Least Concern. In this talk, the Shark Trust will describe skate assemblage in Southwest waters, with a focus on distribution and abundance. Species’ varied roles and behaviour within the marine ecosystem will be discussed, as will differing vulnerability to fishing mortality. The extent of commercial fisheries will be outlined, including the relatively recent emergence of fisheries management. Finally, the Shark Trust’s involvement in the move towards more sustainable, managed fisheries will be covered, as will the Trust’s projects designed to raise public awareness of this often neglected group.

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    Cat Gordon & John Richardson 2015 Skate

    Uploaded by

    Coastal Futures
    Skate populations in the Southwest Cat Gordon and John Richardson The Shark Trust, Plymouth, UK E: cat@sharktrust.org; john@sharktrust.org The waters surrounding England’s Southwest present an array of hydrographic regimes, bathymetry and substrate: from the shallow, muddy Severn Estuary to deeper continental shelf and slope waters of the Celtic Sea. The diversity of habitat created by these environmental variables hosts an equally impressive diversity of skate species, ranging from the enigmatic, large-bodied White Skate Rostroraja alba (max TL ~200cm) to the more diminutive Cuckoo Ray Leucoraja naevus (max TL 75cm). Often overlooked in favour of their more charismatic shark relatives, skate occupy key roles within the Southwest’s marine ecosystems. At the same time, skate have long been an important component within commercial fisheries, where they are caught using a variety of gear and continue to be landed into ports throughout the region. As a group, skate demonstrate a mixed resilience to commercial fisheries – although, as with all chondrichthyans, a suite of conservative biological traits make them significantly more vulnerable to over-exploitation. This is reflected in conservation status, with some larger-bodied species assessed as Critically Endangered, while those exhibiting reproductive rates more able to sustain fishing mortality are listed as Least Concern. In this talk, the Shark Trust will describe skate assemblage in Southwest waters, with a focus on distribution and abundance. Species’ varied roles and behaviour within the marine ecosystem will be discussed, as will differing vulnerability to fishing mortality. The extent of commercial fisheries will be outlined, including the relatively recent emergence of fisheries management. Finally, the Shark Trust’s involvement in the move towards more sustainable, managed fisheries will be covered, as will the Trust’s projects designed to raise public awareness of this often neglected group.

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    of 17

    Cat Gordon John Richardson

    Blonde Ray Sally Sharrock

    Skate populations in
    Southwest waters

    When is a shark a ray?


    When is a ray a skate?
    Oviparous
    Demersal predators ecosystem balance
    Prey on crustaceans, invertebrates, small bony
    fish
    Habitat preference generally soft substrates
    (sand/mud) but some prefer rocky substrate

    Juvenile skate & catsharks Lauren Smith

    Undulate Ray Cat Gordon

    16 species reported in British waters


    Additional sp. rarely encountered
    High diversity in SW ~11 species

    An Identification guide to the Sharks, Skates, Rays & Chimaeras of the British Isles The Shark Trust. Illustrations Marc Dando.

    www.sharktrust.org/id

    An Identification guide to the Sharks, Skates, Rays & Chimaeras of the British Isles The Shark Trust. Illustrations Marc Dando.

    www.sharktrust.org/id

    K-selected
    Site fidelity

    Eggcase hunting sghaywood

    Regional populations

    Static life-history phase


    Great Eggcase Hunt

    Spotted Ray Cat Gordon

    Broad distribution
    Relative abundance

    Life history: vulnerablity to overfishing


    Morphology: vulnerability to fishing gear
    Populations take longer to recover

    Skates, rays and shark-like rays experienced greatest


    declines and are most at threat
    *Dulvy et al. 2014. Extinction risk and conservation of the worlds sharks and rays. Elife, 3, e00590

    Spotted Ray Cat Gordon

    Non-existent PR
    Conservation status IUCN report (Dulvy et al.
    2014*)

    Thornback Ray Paul Naylor

    Change in catch composition


    Previously went unnoticed as historically not
    landed by species but by skate and ray
    Populations of large-bodied species depleted
    Smaller, more fecund species more abundant
    2006 Seafish Skate & Ray Group convened
    Species specific landings

    skate fisheries in the Southwest

    o
    o
    o
    o
    o

    Commercial species
    Mixed fisheries
    North Devon
    Decrease in landings
    Reporting

    all illustrations Marc Dando


    Sutton Harbour, Plymouth John Richardson

    commercial landings: 2012


    Western English Channel Division VIIe

    Small-eyed Ray 29.9t


    Spotted Ray 44.5t
    Cuckoo Ray 79.6t

    Source: STECF t = tonnes live-weight

    Thornback Ray 124.5t

    Blonde Ray 170.2t

    457.9 t

    commercial landings: 2012


    Bristol Channel Division VIIf

    Small-eyed Ray 175.3t

    Source: STECF t = tonnes live-weight

    Blonde Ray 215.7t

    Thornback Ray 256.2t

    705.6 t

    commercial landings: 2012


    Celtic Sea North Division VIIg
    Spotted Ray 6.6t
    Shagreen Ray 10.3t

    Blonde Ray 18.2t

    Source: STECF t = tonnes live-weight

    Cuckoo Ray 18.5t

    119.6 t

    Small-eyed Ray 29.1t

    Thornback Ray 34.7t

    commercial landings: 2012


    Celtic Sea South Division VIIh

    Source: STECF t = tonnes live-weight

    Shagreen Ray 19.0t

    Cuckoo Ray 63.1t

    87.7 t

    fisheries management

    o
    o
    o
    o

    TACs and Quotas


    Data Limited Stocks
    Reporting
    Prohibited Species

    Cuckoo Rays on fish-market Shark Trust

    Shark Trust engagement in skate fisheries

    o
    o
    o
    o
    o
    o

    Pragmatic approach
    UK
    EU
    Industry
    Fisheries Advisories
    ID materials

    Stornoway Andrew Bennett

    thanks for listening

    john@sharktrust.org
    cat@sharktrust.org
    www.sharktrust.org

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