▁caught ▁incident ally ▁as ▁by catch . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁profit ability ▁of ▁tra w l ▁fish ing , ▁ ▁by catch ▁likely ▁will ▁remain ▁a ▁serious ▁problem ▁for ▁the ▁common ▁sk ate . ▁The ▁species ▁is ▁ext ir p ated ▁in ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁Sea . ▁Rem aining ▁strong holds ▁where ▁it ▁remains ▁locally ▁common ▁are ▁off ▁western ▁Scotland ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁C elt ic ▁Sea . ▁A ▁strong hold ▁along ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Norway ▁has ▁been ▁suggested , ▁but ▁recent ▁studies ▁indicate ▁the ▁species ▁is ▁rare ▁there ▁and ▁many ▁previous ▁records ▁are ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁mis ident ifications ▁of ▁other ▁sk ates . ▁ ▁Because ▁the ▁common ▁sk ate ▁is ▁long - l ived ▁and ▁slow ▁to ▁m ature , ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁slow ▁to ▁rep op ulate , ▁but ▁experience ▁with ▁the ▁related ▁bar nd oor ▁sk ate ▁( D . ▁la e vis ) ▁of ▁the ▁north west ▁Atlantic ▁indicates ▁that ▁a ▁population ▁recovery ▁may ▁be ▁possible ▁in ▁a ▁relatively ▁short ▁time . ▁The ▁common ▁sk ate ▁is ▁strictly ▁protected ▁within ▁the ▁EU , ▁making ▁it ▁illegal ▁for ▁commercial ▁fish ers ▁to ▁act ively ▁fish ▁for ▁it ▁or ▁keep ▁it ▁if ▁accident ally ▁land ed . ▁Like ▁other ▁el asm ob ranch s , ▁it ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁good ▁chance ▁of ▁surv iving ▁if ▁released ▁after ▁being ▁caught . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁Dist inct ▁gen etic ▁and ▁morph ological ▁differences ▁exist ▁within ▁the ▁common ▁sk ate ▁as ▁tradition ally ▁defined , ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁recommendation ▁of ▁splitting