The AP has a vivid description of fishermen rallying in Massachusetts last week to protest the transition to new US fishing restrictions (to take effect next May). The new regulations they are protesting are part of a last-ditch effort to overhaul the nation’s devastated fisheries following the strengthening of the US Fisheries Conservation and Management [...]

Member’s Post :: Once again Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification is coming under scrutiny. MSC is thrust forward to be the “social conscience” for commercial fishing and its customers. The little blue MSC logo gives us the absolution, that when we buy a product with it printed on the packet, we have bought something sustainable. [...]

Listen to SSACN’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 – fast forward to 1hr 10 mins to get to the start of Ian’s contribution to the programme.

Member’s Post :: Nothing will be achieved in Scotland’s marine environment without the political will to deliver it. The current government regularly boasts it is a world leader in innovative thinking and approaches to marine conservation. Unfortunately, as the following exchanges in Holyrood show, what a pity the commercial sector in the Clyde has no [...]

The Westminster Marine and Coastal Access Bill has now received Royal Assent. Both this Bill and the Scottish Marine Bill are intended to introduce a framework for the sustainable management of the seas around the UK / Scotland, ensuring the need to protect our seas is integrated with economic growth of marine industries. Whilst the [...]

The Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP – www.tagsharks.com) are pleased to introduce the latest member of their team – Dr Lauren Smith. According to Lauren From a very early age I was fascinated by the Oceans, however growing up in West Bromwich meant shark encounters were more often experienced behind reinforced glass tanks in Aquariums [...]

Most stocks exploited unsustainably, millions of nephrops discarded and endangered spurdogs among the bycatch Following a preliminary assessment, the Friend of the Sea Advisory Board has not authorised further audit of the nephrops trawl fishery in ICES areas VIa and VII as it is not compliant with their main criteria and FAO Guidelines Art 30, [...]

Irresponsible deep-sea bottom fishing in the north Atlantic is risking the extinction of fish species and putting vulnerable eco-systems in danger, marine experts said today. Many of the deep-sea species targeted by the trawlers or picked up as a by-product of the main catch are already depleted, in some cases endangered, and some populations have [...]

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 Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP – www.tagsharks.com) to the next level by funding a ‘Shark Project Officer’ and helping support some of the ongoing costs. If you are interested in [...]