What does it take to achieve high recapture rates? A story from the Thracean Sea

When we began tagging rough skates (Raja radula) in the Thracian Sea, we knew that successful recapture rate would rely mostly on the commitment of the local fishing community! From the outset, we invested in face-to-face outreach meetings with the Kavala Port Authority, the Fisheries Bureaus of Kavala and Xanthi, and dozens of professional fishers. An event in Keramoti brought together 24 fishers and representatives from four local associations to introduce the project’s goals. Posters were placed in strategic locations, from ports to auction markets, to support correct reporting of tagged skates. That was the formal side. The real work, as anyone who works with fishers knows, also happens over many coffees, long chats on the dock, and building trust one conversation at a time.

Mr. Panagiotis presents how he and the rest of the fishers in Kavala are helping in the conservation of the rough skate and why they are doing it, EEA Conference, Thessaloniki, October2024. Photo © iSea

In October 2024, during the European Elasmobranch Association (EEA) conference in Thessaloniki, we wanted to give something back. We organised an ad-hoc workshop bringing together fishers from across Greece who collaborate on shark and ray conservation, alongside project funders. Two fishers from Kavala joined and proudly shared what they and their colleagues are doing to protect the rough skate. A highlight of the day came when they met the Save Our Seas Foundation team in person. For many small-scale fishers, funders can feel like distant or abstract names. But here were Mrs. Griffiths and Dr. Fowler, face to face with the people sharing how they got involved in shark conservation sharing relatable stories from their childhood at the beach! That moment a real connection formed stemming from the very relatable childhood memories of a more pristine and rich sea, which created a sense of shared purpose!

Actual recapture photo from the fishers. Photo © Nikos Prentas

What happened next was powerful. Although the two fishers weren’t always the ones catching tagged skates, every single recapture was reported through them. They had become local ambassadors for the species. Back in Kavala, their enthusiasm inspired others in the fleet to participate, even the more reluctant ones! The project no longer felt external, it belonged to them. And that we believe, more than anything, is why we achieved such high recapture rates (11.75% (N=6) out of 51 tags).