Sharks vs. Rays & Skates

[happy2fish]

On the east coast of North America, the population of rays and skates is exploding due to the over-harvest of large sharks that prey upon them.

“Large sharks have been functionally eliminated from the east coast of the U.S., meaning that they can no longer perform their ecosystem role as top predators,” says Julia K. Baum, co-author of a study that shows a steady decline in large sharks from over-fishing.

The rays and skates are taking advantage of the shark’s demise and now are in such abundance that they are having a huge impact on the bay scallop fishery, putting into jeopardy local and regional economies. And the list goes on… Source

[Sam]

Wow... I'm not surprised at all. It does seem like the skates have dropped off this summer and there really aren't any sharks in the spring/fall when these flat critters are so prevalent. Makes sense.

[Steve]

Well, makes sense to use a skate/ray for bait then...