Develop management actions to improve the status of elasmobranchs in Scotland’s waters and continue to build the evidence base for elasmobranchs including: distribution, essential fish habitat, population abundance and social interactions.
Objective 4: Protect and support the recovery of vulnerable and important species and habitats
Priority Action 22. Manage existing and emerging pressures to improve the conservation status of seabirds, marine mammals and elasmobranchs.
Work to improve understanding of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) in Scotland is ongoing through research, monitoring, and policy development, but there is no single published national programme setting out coordinated management actions specifically for elasmobranch recovery.
Evidence-building is supported through UK and Scotland-relevant initiatives including ICES stock assessments, JNCC and NatureScot evidence work, and fisheries policy development (e.g. Future Catching Policy consultation), which reference data gaps relating to distribution, essential habitats, and bycatch impacts. However, these activities are reported across multiple programmes rather than as a unified Scottish framework.
There is limited published evidence of implemented, Scotland-specific management measures targeted solely at elasmobranch recovery, beyond broader fisheries management and marine conservation measures.
Scientific and policy evidence (including ICES assessments and UK marine strategy materials) identifies elasmobranchs as vulnerable to overfishing, bycatch, and habitat pressure, with many species exhibiting slow recovery due to life-history traits.
Ongoing research and monitoring improve understanding of distribution, population status, and pressures, which is necessary for effective management.
However, ecological benefits depend on implementation of targeted management measures (e.g. spatial protection, bycatch mitigation, fisheries restrictions). As current activity is largely focused on evidence-building rather than clearly evidenced, coordinated management action in Scotland, ecological outcomes remain potential rather than demonstrated.
ICES – Stock assessments and scientific advice (including elasmobranchs)
Scottish Government – Future Catching Policy consultation
UK Marine Strategy – pressures on marine species
Publish a Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy which will identify actions to support species recovery and increase the resilience of seabird populations.
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