THE Scottish sea angling pressure group SSACN (Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network) is setting the example for all anglers about how to mount a concerted and sustained campaign to improve their sport.

Its team of volunteers works tirelessly conceiving and running events  – like the hugely successful June Sharkatag weekend which injects an estimated £50,000 into the Solway economy – participates in long-running Government working parties, manages an essential online library and news resource and constantly acts as a thorn in the conscience of all-too-often delirious politicians.

You should do yourself a favour and read the latest review of its activities. It is, without much argument, the biggest single influence on the preservation of sharks in Scottish waters right now. Not the most cuddly of creatures, but SSACN is helping to give them a better chance of holding on to their increasingly-fragile habitat than almost anyone else in authority.

The report also contains a short story written by one of their supporters, about his unique experience catching, tagging and releasing different species of fish. What makes his tale so important, is that eight of the fish he caught were recaptures, providing essential data for scientists about the lifespan and movements of the various fish.

Tagging is a simple procedure, but one to which the game fishing lobby, now firmly focused on catch-and-release, should surely be giving serious consideration.