All of a flap
The uncommon skate
Long-time Seasearcher Chris Rickard ’ s encounter with an individual skate at the end of a survey dive led to the discovery of a unique skate nursery , a previously unknown phenomenon
Highly prized by anglers , these are one of the largest fish in Scottish waters and the largest skate in the world . It is thought that an individual can live for up to 100 years and as they approach that age , they can weigh a whopping 120 kilos or more . Females are larger and heavier than males . A large female can reach almost three metres in length and two and a half metres across the wing tips . Today their range is greatly diminished and fragmented because the delicate seabed on which they rely is a target for the most damaging forms of fishing , such as scallop dredging . It is believed that the skates have practically disappeared across much of their historic range , but there are pockets of healthy populations , which give this species hope .
The Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area , which was designated in 2015 , is one such place . Originally part of the problem , the angling community has been integral in discovering as much as possible about these magnificent creatures . Gone are the days of trophy hunting for skate , in which fish were caught , brought to shore and killed in order to be measured and weighed . For more than three decades , anglers and other fishermen have been recording their catches and live-releasing them in order to try to gain a better understanding of the fish . A
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