1. Claim Procedure
   
   
   1. The claimant should contact the S.A.S.A. Fish Recorder or his agent; advice will then be given concerning preservation, identification, and claims procedure.
      
      
   2. Claims must be confirmed promptly in writing by completion of a current record claim form, which can be obtained from the Fish Recorder or his agent.
      
      
   3. No claim will be accepted unless the Fish Recorder is satisfied as to species, method of capture and weight. If there is any irregularity regarding a claim, the Fish Recorder may contact the claimant and/or witnesses for further information.
      
      
   
   
2. Method of Capture
   
   
   1. Fish caught at sea will be eligible for consideration as records if the boat used has set out from, and returned directly to, a port in Shetland. The fish must have been caught within UK territorial waters, north of the east west median between Orkney and Shetland.
      
      
   2. Claims can only be accepted in respect of fish, which are caught by fair angling with rod and line. Fair angling is defined by the fish taking the baited hook or lure into its mouth, and also be in accord with current S.A.S.A. rules.
      
      
   3. Shore fishing shall mean fishing from any land mass or fixed man-made structure or from a boat attached to any land mass or fixed man-made structure. In cases of doubt the S.A.S.A. Fish Recorder will classify a claim on the information provided.
      
      
   4. Fish must be caught on rod and line, with any legal hook or lure, and hooked and played by one person only. Assistance to land the fish (i.e. gaffing, netting) is permitted provided the helper does not touch any part of the tackle other than the leader.
      
      
   
   
3. Weight
   
   
   1. The fish must be weighed on land using commercial or trade scales which have been issued with a calibration certificate, confirming their accuracy, within the previous 12 months. If scales have been used that do not have a calibration certificate, they must be checked for accuracy by the fish recorder or his agent, before the claim can be processed. A copy of the calibration certificate, if available, should be included with the claim.
      
      
   2. The Sensitivity of the scales should be appropriate to the size of the fish, i.e. small fish should be weighed on finely graduated scales and the weight claimed for the fish should be to a division of weight not less than the smallest division shown on the scales.
      
      
   3. The weight of the fish shall be recorded as indicated on the scale, i.e. if the scale indicates the weight in kilograms and grams the weight must be recorded in kilograms and grams. Where the indicated weight lies between two graduations on a scale, the weight shall be rounded down to that indicated by the lower graduation.
      
      
   4. The scales used should normally weigh in kilograms and grams, however scales weighing in lbs and ozs may be used where there is no suitable alternative.
      
      
   5. The weight must be verified by an independent witness who should not have been present when the fish was caught.
      
      
   
   
4. Identification of Species
   
   
   1. The recorder is required from time to time to consider claims for fish of species that cannot be determined satisfactorily without inspection. For this reason and others, claimants are strongly advised not to liberate or otherwise dispose of a fish for which it is intended to enter a claim until an examination of the fish has been made by either the fish recorder, his agent, a qualified ichthyologist, or fishery biologist. The examiner's signature and title (or qualifications) should appear on the S.A.S.A. claim form or on a separate document confirming the identification of the species.
      
      
   2. Photographs of the fish may be presented in support of any claim, and may provide sufficient evidence for a readily identifiable species. However, it must be remembered that the submission of a photograph alone cannot guarantee acceptance of a claim.
      
      
   3. All carriage costs incurred in the production of a fish for inspection must be borne by the claimant.
      
      
   
   
5. New Species
   
   

   In the case of any claim made for a species not included in the 'S.A.S.A. Rod Caught Record List', the fish must be kept until the species has been verified to the satisfaction of the fish recorder.

   
   
6. Integrity
   
   

   The fish recorder requires a high degree of proof in order to safeguard the integrity of the list. As a high degree of proof is required, rejection of a claim imports no reflection on the bona fides of the claimant.

   
   
7. Right of Appeal
   
   

   In the event of rejection of a claim by the fish recorder, the claimant has the right of appeal to the S.A.S.A. committee, whose decision is final.

   
   

Protected Fishes

The following are rare or threatened species in Great Britain and are protected under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and later orders. This protection results in it being an offence to capture any of these fishes intentionally. Anglers who believe that they may have captured a specimen of any of these species are advised to unhook and release the fish unharmed as soon as possible after capture.

• Allis Shad (Alosa alosa)
• Sturgeon (Acipenser sturio)

As a local conservation measure, records will not be accepted for the following species.

• Common Skate (Raja batis)

No claims for records for these species will be entertained by the S.A.S.A. (the entry for common skate in the records list is given as a historical record only).

If You Catch a Fish

If an angler catches a potential S.A.S.A. record fish he/she should make the claim in the first instance to:

Arthur Inkster, Bakkakot, Port Arthur, Scalloway, ZE1 0UN (Tel: 01595 880840)
-or-
Laurence Williamson (Tel: 01595 880376; Mobile: 07775941024)