Protected area extended after rare fish eggs found

Image source, Jo Beaton

Image caption, Flapper skate eggs
At a glance
  • A protected area of seabed in Skye's Inner Sound is to be extended.
  • The move follows the discovery of 700 eggs of the critically endangered flapper skate.
  • The fish take years to mature and are vulnerable to habitat loss.
  • The Scottish government is to consult on the permanence of the protect area next year.

A marine protected area (MPA) put in place earlier this year to safeguard a critically endangered fish has been expanded.

Flapper skate lay eggs in the Red Rocks and Longay area of Skye's Inner Sound.

The Scottish government designated it as an urgent interim MPA in March after more than 100 eggs were found.

The number of eggs has since risen to 400, and the protected area has now been extended following the discovery of 700 eggs north of the original site.

The designation prohibits some activities such as fishing, diving and construction.

Public consultation is to take place in February before a decision is taken on the permanence of the site's protected status.

Image source, Jane Dodd/NatureScot

Image caption, Flapper skate belong to the shark family

Flapper skate belong to the shark family and females can grow to 2.8m (9ft) in length.

In Scotland, the fish are found on the west coast and in Orkney and Shetland.

They take more than 10 years to reach sexual maturity and produce low numbers of offspring, meaning populations recover slowly from any negative impact such as habitat loss. The adult fish hunt for prawns, other skate and small sharks in deep water.