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Skate may be fished to extinction
Source: Copyright 2009, BBC
Date: November 18, 2009
Byline: Victoria Gill
Original URL: Status ONLINE
A species of skate could become the first marine fish driven to extinction by commercial fishing, say scientists.
A study reveals that an error in the classification of the species has meant researchers have failed to see just how close to the brink it is.
The French team reports its findings in the journal Aquatic Conservation.
Marine biologist Nicholas Dulvy from Simon Fraser University in Canada says the skate is now "the most precarious marine species on Earth".
The team's genetic studies have revealed that what is referred to as the common skate is actually two clearly distinct species - the flapper skate (Dipturus intermedia) and the blue skate (Dipturus flossada).
The fish were originally categorised separately, but an influential study in 1926 recognised only one valid species - Dipturus batis. This classification has been unchallenged since.
The 80-year error has ensured that fisheries have not ...
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