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« on: March 18, 2007, 11:00:53 AM » |
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From Ian Burrett
Hi All
This is just a quick note to keep you up to date
It has been a fairly quiet time for SOS recently. In England we have been waiting for the results of the tope consultation and for further evidence from Defra to show rays can be returned successfully from trawls prior to implanting a maximum landing size on rays and spurdog. This will stop commercial targeting the mature females.
Defra recently implemented a European ruling in parts of the North Sea which reduced ray catches to 25% of total catch but after much mumblings from the commercials Defra are not enforcing their own policies.
Matters have come to a grinding halt in Scotland as the elections are due in May and as a result of a damming report of Ross Finnies running of the Scottish marine ecosystem in a recent enquiry by the Environment and Rural Development Committee of the Scottish Parliament
They recognised that the marine environment is a dynamic, robust and yet delicately balaced resource, with an immense economic and iconic value to Scotland and that managing it to the benefit of ALL is essential. IT'S A COMMON RESOURCE.
They highlighted that the value of the marine environment can be eroded through over-intensive, inappropriate, insensitive or cumulative impacts, or the failure to address potential pressures, many of which could be managed. AKA OVER EXPLOITATION and MIS-MANAGEMENT.
And at last, they put Scottish RSA on the political map by highlighting that recreational sea angling is worth over £150 million a year to the Scottish economy.
Their full report can be seen at [here]
This should eventually be good news for Scottish sharks as the exec have realised they have to consult with other stakeholders.
The Shark Alliance [here] is going from strength to strength and nowhas 29 affiliated shark conservation groups. They are mounting pressure within Europe to stop the fishing for Porgies and spurdog as both are critically endangered according to the IUCN. The Alliance has the science and the money behind it to get things done
The Alliance is holding a conference in Brussels next month and two members of SOS Nigel Proctor and liaison officer Denis Kelly will be attending. Nigel and Denis also hope to meet up with MEP’s to try and push things along at home.
If you have a spare minute would you please sign a new petition dedicated to stopping a company from supplying fins to the Asian market. The petition can be found at [here]
This is to stop scenes like this See [here]
The SOS committee is still going through the process of achieing charitable status. It takes time but it will be well worth it in the end.
That’s all for now.
I will let you know how Denis and Nigel get on in Brussels
Ian Burrett
Save our Sharks
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