The Basking Shark in Scotland: Natural History, Fishery and ConservationThe Basking Shark in Scotland is based on archival sources, early historical works and interviews with surviving shark hunters. This 'gentle giant' of the seas, the largest fish in Scottish waters, is nowadays often in the news as conservationists press for its legal protection. Denis Fairfax provides a full history of the fishery for the shark, its anatomy and its biology. The basking shark's scientific history is treated extensively, including the Loch Ranza specimen featured by Thomas Pennant in his British Zoology. Shark incidents are recounted, including the famous Carradale incident of 1937 when an encounter with a basking shark led to the drowning of three people. |
Common terms and phrases
animal Annexed Estates appears Arran barbs barrels basking shark basking shark fishery behaviour boat branchial breaching British Zoology cairban Canna carcass Carradale cartilage catchers caught centimetres century Cetorhinus maximus coast comm copepods Courtesy dinghy dogfish Donald dorsal fin Dusky Maid early Edinburgh feeding Firth of Clyde fish oil fishermen flesh Gavin Maxwell gill gill-rakers Gunnerus harpoon gun harpoon line Hebrides Island of Soay Kongsberg Kongsberg gun large numbers large shark later liver oil Loch Fyne London MacLeod Mallaig Mallaig group Manson pers Matthews & Parker Matthews and Parker Maxwell's metres Minch Museum Natural History naturalist Norwegian NSA vol O'Connor Orkney pectoral plankton Priede satellite Scotland Sea Leopard season Sept shark factory shark hunting Shetland shoal skin snout Soay Soay factory Society species specimen Statistical Account steel Stronsay Monster summer sun-fish surface swimming tagging tail Thomas Pennant toggle harpoon towed transmitter vertebrae vessel Watkins Western Isles whale shark