Tope Consultation

From Save Our Sharks

Hi All

You may have already heard on the grapevine that SOS has finally got the chance to help make the tope a recreational only species. Please look at the new SOS front page for details. www.save-our-sharks.org

It is important we get as many anglers/charter skippers/Hoteliers/tackle dealers etc. to respond to the consultation. To accomplish this we need some help. If you can spare a few hours in helping compile emailing lists, emailing dealers, talking to tackle dealers etc, or you have any ideas to maximise this opportunity then please email ianburrett@save-our-sharks.org

A downloadable poster and handouts are available on the site and it is imperative we get these displayed in angling clubs, angling hotels, Charter boats, tackle dealers etc.

Please note that the Welsh Assembly government is holding a separate consultation, the address for responses can be found on the Welsh poster. Option 2 still applies.

If this consultation is successful i.e. Option 2, is adopted, then Defra have indicated that they will approach the Eu commission to try and get a European ban on commercial fishing for tope, so there is still much to be done.

Once the consultation is over SOS will be asking Defra to stop the commercial exploitation of other sharks.

The consultation should create plenty of traffic for the SOS site and we are keen to see this continue. If you have had a good tope or sharking trip then please let us all know about it, by posting a report on the SOS forum.

Ian Burrett
Save Our Sharks