Thames Skate

[Leon Roskilly]

At the next meeting of the Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries Committee, a CEFAS scientist will be giving a presentation regarding the latest information about the movements of Thames Estuary roker.

 

Faced with a severely declining population in the Southern North Sea, the EU have been calling for measures to protect the remaining population.

 

However, anglers and Commercial Fishermen have noticed increasing numbers of skate in the Thames estuary.

 

Is that a sign that all is well in this area at least?

 

Or are we seeing a regional population contraction, seeming to produce local abundance, but only perhaps temporary as the last stronghold of a retreating population is hammered?

 

It should be interesting to hear of the science, and how this is observed by the SFC and those with an interest in the thornback fishery.

 

As with all SFC meetings, anyone with an interest can come along and observe the meeting, usually with an opportunity to mingle once the formal business is completed.

 

The meeting takes place at 10am on Monday 19th November in the Garden Suite of the Thurrock hotel on Avely, Purfleet, Essex, close to the M25.

 

http://www.thurrockhotel.co.uk/findus.asp

 

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|RM19%201YN

[Cranfield]

We are talking about Rays not Skate........right ?

[Leon Roskilly]

We are talking about Rays not Skate........right ?

 

Yes, thornback rays (otherwise known as roker), rather than the 'common' skate.

[thedogs]

If it is an contraction its one thats lasted around six years or so.

[Cranfield]

Having never heard the term in the South until about 10 years ago (despite a long lifetime of sea fishing), I always thought "roker" was a Northern slang term for the thornback ray, possibly even Scottish in origin.

[Elton]

Having never heard the term in the South until about 10 years ago (despite a long lifetime of sea fishing), I always thought "roker" was a Northern slang term for the thornback ray, possibly even Scottish in origin.

 

I think Bob Cox actually had a boat called "Roker", many years ago, no doubt inspired by the numbers of thornbacks that he caught from the Thames Estuary at the time. I'm sure Sam will correct me if I'm wrong.

[thedogs]

yes there was lots of thornies to be caught in the good ol days hear in the Thames Estuary. But I would say there are more now. The evidence being, they are now in the estuary all year round in fair numbers and they can be targeted and caught from the shore all year round.

Im not dismissing the contration theorey that Leon has bought up totally, but I am more inclinned to think its down to the decrease in local commercial activity. Many of the larger boats have packed up, most of the larger boats were trawlers that caught many roker, also there are not as many ray nets set on and around the sand banks in the spring time as there were fiteen years ago.

There are more smaller and some fast commercial boats that mainly target bass and sole than there once was. These are the people responsable for filtereing our bass at the plate sized 36cm mls. These boats may target thornbacks for a month or so before the sole fishery opens or the bass arive but they are not the primary target species all year round.

What could harm this slow growing fish is gready anglers like one or two private boats that operate in the Thames Estuary, they have been seen landing 50 or more thornbacks in a day, spreading them out all over the decks of their 35 footers to take those trophy shots.

I have never seen as many thornbacks as we have now this has slowley biult up since 1996 and I hope they are looked after so we can continue to enjoy them.

[wurzel]

Here is the so called science ICES base thier assumptions on.

Demersal_20elasmobranchs_20NSSK.pdf

[thedogs]

Hi Wurzel,

 

I would take anything that scientists say with a very large pinch of salt. They will come up with whatever results you want if you pay them enough. I have no faith in CEFAS!

[Leon Roskilly]

With the meeting less than a week away, I thought I'd bump this back to the top.