The Basking Shark in Scotland is based on archival sources, early historical works and interviews with surviving shark hunters. This 'gentle giant' of the seas, the largest fish in Scottish waters, is nowadays often in the news as conservationists press for its legal protection. Denis Fairfax provides a full history of the fishery for the shark, its anatomy and its biology. The basking shark's scientific history is treated extensively, including the Loch Ranza specimen featured by Thomas Pennant in his British Zoology. Shark incidents are recounted, including the famous Carradale incident of 1937 when an encounter with a basking shark led to the drowning of three people.
There are few marine creatures as spectacular as the Basking Shark. At up to 11 metres in length and seven tonnes in weight, this colossal, plankton-feeding fish is one of the largest in the world, second only to the whale shark. Historically, Basking Sharks were a familiar sight in the northern hemisphere – off the coasts of Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the USA, for example. In an 18th Century world without electricity, they became the focus of active hunting for their huge livers containing large amounts of valuable oil, primarily used in lamps. Catch numbers were small enough to leave populations largely intact, but during the 20th Century a new breed of hunter joined the fray, some driven as much by a need for adventure as for financial gain. With improved equipment and experience, they exploited the shark on an industrial scale that drastically reduced numbers, leading to localised near-extinction in some areas. From the 1970’s onward a new generation took to the seas, this time with conservation in mind to identify where the shark might still be found in the waters around the British Isles, employing new technologies to solve long-standing mysteries about the behaviour of this elusive creature. Using the best of both old and new research techniques, the case was built to justify the species becoming one of the most protected sharks in the oceans. Today, the Basking Shark is a much-loved cornerstone of our natural heritage. There are positive signs that the population has stabilised and may even be slowly recovering from the damage of the past, proving that timely conservation measures can be effective. Join us on a journey amidst wild seas, places, people and conservation history in the battle to protect this iconic creature – a true sea monster’s tale.
Dive into this title to meet basking sharks. Complete with a More Facts section and bolded glossary terms. Young readers will gather basic information about basking sharks through easy-to-read, simple text alongside stunning full-bleed photographs. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards.
This volume weaves together the Scottish otter stories from Gavin Maxwell's three non-fiction books, Ring of Bright Water (1960), The Rocks Remain (1963), and Raven Meet Thy Brother (1969). Maxwell was both an extraordinarily evocative writer and a highly unusual man. While touring the Iraqi marshes, he was captivated by an otter and became a devoted advocate of and spokesman for the species. He moved to a remote house in the Scottish highlands, co-habiting there with three otters and living an idyllic and isolated life – at least for a while. Fate, fame, and fire conspired against this paradise, and it, too, came to an end, though the journey was filled with incident and wonder. Maxwell was also talented as an artist, and his sinuous line drawings of these amphibious and engaging creatures, and the homes they occupied, illustrate his story. This book stands as a lasting tribute to a man, his work, and his passion. It was received and has endured as a classic for its portrait not only of otters but also of a man who endured heartaches and disappointments, whose life embodied both greatness and tragedy. He writes with rare eloquence about his birth, his devotion to the beloved Scottish highlands, and the wildlife he loved, while refusing to ignore the darker aspects of his nature and of nature in its larger sense.
Sharks and their relatives, the rays and chimaeras, are the diverse group of cartilaginous fishes that have evolved over 400 million years. Historically considered of low economic value to large-scale fisheries, today many of these fishes have become the target of directed commercial and recreational fisheries around the world, and they are increasingly taken in the by-catch of fisheries targeting other species. This report emphasizes the widely-acknowledged need to improve shark fishery monitoring, expand biological research and take management action. It serves as an introduction to the ecology, status and conservation of the sharks and their relatives for a general audience. Shark fisheries can only be managed sustainably, and shark populations remain viable, with the introduction of new conservation and management initiatives.
This is the story of the author's life in Camusfearna, a wild and remote area of Scotland, and of three otters, Chahala, Mijbil and Edal, who became his constant companions.
The memories of a Scottish fisherman. Growing up in a typical fishing village on the Southwest coast of Scotland. Taking the reader on a journey from childhood to becoming the most hated and controversial fisherman in the UK. Sharing with the reader the ups and downs, the successes and heartbreaks of fishing. Along the way we meet many of the characters who made the industry what it was as well as learning a lot about the natural lore of the job. The author was so lucky to become a fisherman as the old traditional ways of fishing changed with the advent of modern technology at which he was always at the forefront. Reviving a fishery for basking sharks caused more trouble than he could possibly have imagined.
'Ireland's heritage is being steadily whittled away by human exploitation, pollution and other aspects of modern development. This could represent a serious loss to the nation.' Irish Government Report, June 1969 Nature in Ireland is disappearing at an alarming rate. Overfishing, industrial-scale farming and pollution have decimated wildlife habitats and populations. In a single lifetime, vast shoals of herring, rivers bursting with salmon, and bogs alive with flocks of curlew and geese have all become folk memories. Coastal and rural communities are struggling to survive; the foundations of our tourism and agricultural sectors are being undermined. The lack of political engagement frequently sees the state in the European Court of Justice for environmental issues. Pádraic Fogarty authoritatively charts how this grim failure to manage our natural resources has impoverished our country. But all is not lost: he also reveals possibilities for the future, describing how we can fill our seas with fish, farm in tune with nature, and create forests that benefit both people and wildlife. He makes a persuasive case for the return of long-lost species like wild boar, cranes and wolves, showing how the interests of the country and its nature can be reconciled. A provocative call to arms, Whittled Away presents an alternative path that could lead us all to a brighter future.
Sharks are only a small proportion of world recorded fish landings, but they are a versatile and valuable resource. They sustain important fisheries in several countries and are a cheap but valuable source of protein for coastal communities dependent on subsistence fisheries. Sharks are exploited for their meat, fins, teeth, cartilage, liver and other internal organs. This report details species used and methods of preparation for various purposes.
The island of Soay nestles between the Sleat peninsula and the grandeur of the Cuillins—and there can be few more magnificent settings. Despite its proximity to Skye it has been little visited. Evacuated in 1953—the first evacuation since St Kilda—it has since been re-occupied. The history of the island is ultimately linked with that of Skye—including the great clearances. Laurance Reed's book, privately published in the 1980s, is the definitive account of this beautiful and little known island, incorporating a great deal of original research. This new edition contains a new epilogue and a plate section of the island and its evacuation.
