--r yri-pa^'.ifvi 



And why not skates and rays? 



To the oysterman it is a threat. To the crabi3er it is 

 a competitor. To the fmfisherman it is a nuisance. 

 But to Sea Grant marine advisory agent Skipper 

 Crow and NCSU graduate student Steve Otwell, it is 

 a potentially marketable food item. It is . . . the skate. 



While the skate may not be so popular on this side 

 of the Atlantic, in Europe there is no ambivalence 

 when it comes to the skate or his relative, the ray; 

 they are delicacies. Like many underutilized fish 

 species that have never found a market in the U.S., 

 these boneless, "winged" creatures are an accepted 

 and valued item on the European seafood market. In 

 the U.S., however, tremendous quantities of these 

 fish are incidentally caught, discarded, and literally 

 lost at sea. 



The skate and ray have never had a particularly 

 favorable reputation among coastal fishermen here. 

 Feeding primarily on crabs, moUusks and small fish, 

 these unique fish can also disturb shellfish beds and 

 tear eel grass (a prime habitat area for many fish 

 species) as they propel themselves through the water 

 with a flap of their fleshy, wing-like pectoral fins. 

 Just what impact these activities have on shellfish 

 production is not really known. But Sea Grant ad- 

 visory agent Crow and researcher Otwell hope to find 

 the answer to some of these questions as they explore 

 export marketing potential for skates and rays. 



Crow is doubtful that a domestic market will ever 

 evolve for skates and rays. However, he expresses op- 

 timism over the potential for marketing these species 

 in Europe and Japan. Under the funds of a UNC Sea 

 Grant mini-grant, he and Otwell will attempt to 

 assess just how North Carolina fishermen can tie into 

 this export market. Much of the research will center 



on the quality criteria which must be met before ex- 

 port is possible, "^e have to know how the quality d 

 the domestic skate and ray compares with fordpi 

 species," Crow explains. 



Other criteria such as size requirements, packaging 

 and processics tediniques will be thoroughly ex- 

 plored befure any test samples are shi|q)ed abroad. In 

 addition, b/ documenting the destruction (tf oyster 

 and scallop Deds by skates and rays, they will at- 

 tempt to evaluate jvst how eHed^ fnarketicg^eould 

 be as a management tool. -^f)'^^;; : tif , ^ .r{» 



Crow stresses tiiat the ^aiS^jia tiM^relwsrc^ 

 will be "purely preliminary," j^)d^ that far'mofe k. 

 depth studies will be required before actual export 

 can be possible. But if their efforts pan out, the 

 domestically unpopular skate and ray may gain a lit- 

 tle more respect in these parts! ' 





!\.'n\\i-r-\\\ I'l' Ndiiii ('aicilin.i 

 .^i-a I it :i!ii ( 'ii!lri;t' I'liifrraiii 

 ll?;?.') Burliiigliwi I.alioi'atdt ii s 

 I Xcii'lh <\iiii!i:!;i St.'li' I 'ni\ I't itv 



' Rail ii'li. v ' :m;.i-. 





D-4 



