Big skate  (Raja binoculata)

The big skate is fished for its fins, which are marketed fresh and frozen (3), but is only of minor importance to commercial fisheries (4). However, this species is also taken incidentally as bycatch, primarily by bottom trawlers in the waters off the coast of California (U.S). Indeed, during the 1990s, the skate catch off the coast of California increased nearly ten-fold, partly targeted and partly taken as bycatch by trawl fisheries that supplement their income by marketing incidentally caught skates and rays (4). Data are currently inadequate to determine the precise impact fisheries are having on big skate populations, but as one of the larger, slow maturing species with a low reproductive rate, this skate is potentially vulnerable to population collapses caused by over-fishing (1).

Presently, this skate is classified only as Lower Risk/near threatened (LR/nt) on the IUCN Red List 2004, and no direct conservation measures are currently in place for the species (1). However, more population data and close monitoring of this species are required to accurately assess the impact fisheries are having on its abundance and distribution.