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Tag: thorny skate

National Marine Fisheries Service rejects petition to list 4 skate species under Endangered Species Act

Posted on December 27, 2011 By David Shiffman 8 Comments on National Marine Fisheries Service rejects petition to list 4 skate species under Endangered Species Act
Conservation, Science

Image from nero.NOAA.gov

Last August, two petitions were sent to the National Marine Fisheries Service from three conservation organizations (the Animal Welfare Institute, WildEarth Guardians and Friends of Animals). The petitions (available in their entirety here) requested that four species of skate be listed as “threatened” or “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act, and requested that critical habitat for these species be designated and appropriately protected. These species are the thorny skate, barndoor skate, winter skate, and smooth skate.

Due to both a directed fishery (skate wings are used for lobster trap bait, and also for food for a primarily-overseas market that includes Europe) and bycatch in bottom fisheries , Northwest Atlantic populations of these species have experienced serious declines in recent years. While some skate species have rebounded (for reasons that are not entirely clear), The thorny skate remains particularly threatened- the IUCN Red List considers the subpopulation off the Northeastern U.S. coast to be Critically Endangered. It is illegal for U.S. fishermen to keep thorny skates they catch (and has been since 2004), but they are commonly taken as bycatch in fisheries for the other skates and groundfish.

Yesterday, the National Marine Fisheries Service formally responded to the petition (thorny skate and other skates), and the news isn’t good for skates:

“After reviewing the information contained in the petition and information readily available in our files, we conclude that the petition fails to present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action concerning barndoor, smooth and/or winter skate may be warranted…We find that the petitions do not present substantial scientific information indicating the petitioned actions may be warranted. Accordingly, we will not initiate a review of the status of thorny skate at this time.”

The National Marine Fisheries Service listed several reasons why they believe these skates should not be listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Read More “National Marine Fisheries Service rejects petition to list 4 skate species under Endangered Species Act” »

Thorny skate protection: NAFO falls short

Posted on September 26, 2011 By David Shiffman
Conservation, Science

  Last week, I previewed the annual NAFO meeting. Two elasmobranch conservation measures (reducing the Total Allowable Catch for thorny skates to the level that the scientific council recommended and requiring fishermen to report the species of the sharks they catch) were to be discussed. That meeting is now concluded, and the results, while not … Read More “Thorny skate protection: NAFO falls short” »

All eyes on Halifax: Will fishery managers follow scientific recommendations to protect the thorny skate?

Posted on September 19, 2011September 19, 2011 By David Shiffman
Conservation, Science

NAFO's logo

Later today, the annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) begins in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The marine conservation world should pay close attention. NAFO  made history in 2004 by becoming the first regional fisheries management organization to set a shared quota for a shark, skate, or ray fishery, but the future of that legacy is in question.

Read More “All eyes on Halifax: Will fishery managers follow scientific recommendations to protect the thorny skate?” »

Proposed fishery increase could harm critically endangered thorny skates

Posted on September 15, 2011 By David Shiffman 14 Comments on Proposed fishery increase could harm critically endangered thorny skates
Conservation, Science

In response to new analyses estimating  that greater numbers of some skate species can be safely fished,  the National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed an “emergency” increase in the catch limit for the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery. While its good news that some skate populations may be doing well enough to support increased fishing, this doesn’t tell the whole story of the Northeast Skate Complex.

Read More “Proposed fishery increase could harm critically endangered thorny skates” »

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