ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roseanna Cunningham was in Oban last week to announce a research programme to monitor the numbers of common skate in the seas.
Skate populations have declined by more than 90 per cent over the past 100 years due to over-fishing.
The Scottish Government has committed £390,000 to a threeyear research programme, to be led by the University of St Andrews, in collaboration with Scottish Natural Heritage, which should underpin the longterm conservation effort which is required to allow the skate population to recover.