Thanks to political lobbying by the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network (SSACN), Common Skate are now a fully protected species. Anglers can still catch them, but like commercial boats, must return them un-harmed at the point of capture. This video shot in the Sound of Jura out from Crinan shows a series of best practise techniques for catching, safe handling and release of these huge fish. It also contains a brief interview with Dr. Dietrich Burkel who set up the Skate tagging project back in the early 1970's.
