Suchergebnisse

Funding information: Surveys were supported by a grant from WWF Netherlands. The writing of this paper was funded via the SeaMonitor project; supported by the European Union's INTERREG VA Programme (Environment Theme) and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) (Grant IVA5060). ; Essential fish habitats (EFHs) are critical for fish life-history events, including spawning, breeding, feeding or growth. Here we provide evidence of EFH for the Critically Endangered flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius) in the waters around the Orkney Isles, Scotland based on citizen-science observation data. The habitats of potential egg laying sites were parametrised as >20m depth, with boulders or exposed bedrock, in moderate current flow (0.3 - 2.8 knots) with low sedimentation. This information provides a significant contribution to our understanding of EFH for flapper skate. ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed

The flapper skate, Dipturus intermedius (Parnell, 1837), is the largest of all European skate and rays (Superorder: Batoidea). It is found in coastal waters of the European continental shelf and slopes in the North-East (NE) Atlantic. With the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classification of 'common skate' as Critically Endangered, and the recognition in 2010 that this name masked two species (flapper skate and blue skate D. batis (Linnaeus, 1758)), and to better support conservation on this regional scale, the Flapper Skate Working Group (SWG) was formed. The SWG is a consortium of government, NGOs, sport-fishing associates and academics, including participants from the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. The purpose of the SWG is to consolidate relevant research, advocacy and policy expertize for the purpose of flapper skate conservation. The first SWG workshop took place in Belfast, November 2019, with discussions focussed on conservation in the NE Atlantic. Following two days of talks, workshops and discussions, we present the SWG's key recommendations for future collaborative conservation.