Dr Murray’s speech in yesterdays debate follows in full as it addressed many issues of direct concern to sea anglers.
I will deal now with species that are less familiar to most of the population, but which are affected by fishing practice, although they are not the main focus of the forthcoming negotiations. Sharks do not [...]

Selected highlights of interest to sea angling conservation
The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson): The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-2966, in the name of Richard Lochhead, on sea fisheries.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment (Richard Lochhead):
Today, we will debate not only total allowable catches and quotas, but a [...]

Condensed from an article in the Abroath Herald
NEW SIGNS have been erected at the entrance to Arbroath harbour banning fishing over the sea walls, however, although the signs are new, the actual prohibition of angling at the watchtower has been in place for many years.
Harbourmaster George Mair explained: “It has always been prohibited to fish [...]

Speaking during today’s debate in the Scottish Parliament on sea fisheries, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment John Scott MSP said:
“I would like to say a word about another under threat species - the Spurdog. The Cabinet Secretary will know that the European Commission are proposing a Total Allowable Catch of zero [...]

Scotland is to take greater responsibility for its coastal waters, which will now stretch 200 nautical miles out to sea. The Scottish Government agreed with the UK Government, through the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) that planned marine bills from both administrations should be joined up.
As the Scottish Government wanted, Scotland will get new executively devolved [...]

Most importantly – Leave the tag in
Shark species management with respect to National Fisheries Bodies is currently very low as shark species are not a predominant commercial species. The UK Shark Tagging Programme offers a small reward for reporting recaptures as tagging programmes produce valuable data for :

A non-destructive assessment of

Species growth rates - under [...]

In an report generated by itself, The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) described its own management of the bluefin tuna fishery as “an international disgrace”.
As if to reinforce the point it has now opted to set catch quotas far higher than its own scientists recommend, 22,000 tonnes for next year rather [...]

The only body capable of setting Atlantic-wide catch limits for sharks today ended its week-long annual meeting without adopting meaningful protections for even the most threatened of Atlantic shark species.
Despite unprecedented scientific warnings about the vulnerability of sharks to overfishing, Parties to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) killed, delayed [...]

Scotland’s approach to cod fisheries is set to be rolled out across the rest of Europe as part of the new EU Cod Recovery Plan agreed at the November Fisheries Council in Brussels.
The new Cod Recovery Plan, builds on the approach set out in the Conservation Credits Scheme pioneered by the Scottish sector in 2008 [...]