Potential Scallop ban in Falmouth Bay

[drysuit repair dave]

I went to the CSFC meeting yesterday. They voted to ban all scallop collection in Falmouth Bay.
It was one of the most depressing experiences of my life
The fact that this bunch of ignorant, opinionated and largely unelected cretins (and others like them around the country) are in charge of our inshore waters does not give me much hope for the future
Despite some very good arguments against the ban from Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, the majority of the Committee thought that if dredging was not allowed, no other collection should be allowed either. The fact that dredging has been banned because of the damage it causes seemed not to compute
A very biased report from the Chief Fisheries Officer (including claims that a scallop dive boat will regularly take 3000+ scallops a day!) convinced the committee that divers are a threat to scallop stocks.
Over 2/3 of the committee members had direct commercial fishing connections.As far as they were concerned, the seas around Cornwall exist purely for the benefit of commercial fishermen. Recreational users were not just ignored, they weren't even mentioned.
The next stage is the DEFRA consultation. Hopefully some sense will prevail there
cheers
dave
drysuitrepair.co.uk

[Lou]

Sounds like the views of commercial fishermen everywhere - only they have the rights to use our seas in their eyes, and they seem to believe they can choose to destroy them if they wish too.

On the bright side, at least the maerl beds are to be protected

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by drysuit repair dave

I went to the CSFC meeting yesterday. They voted to ban all scallop collection in Falmouth Bay.
It was one of the most depressing experiences of my life
The fact that this bunch of ignorant, opinionated and largely unelected cretins (and others like them around the country) are in charge of our inshore waters does not give me much hope for the future
Despite some very good arguments against the ban from Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, the majority of the Committee thought that if dredging was not allowed, no other collection should be allowed either. The fact that dredging has been banned because of the damage it causes seemed not to compute
A very biased report from the Chief Fisheries Officer (including claims that a scallop dive boat will regularly take 3000+ scallops a day!) convinced the committee that divers are a threat to scallop stocks.
Over 2/3 of the committee members had direct commercial fishing connections.As far as they were concerned, the seas around Cornwall exist purely for the benefit of commercial fishermen. Recreational users were not just ignored, they weren't even mentioned.
The next stage is the DEFRA consultation. Hopefully some sense will prevail there
cheers
dave
drysuitrepair.co.uk

Very depressing and coincidentally, a very similar thing is happening here in Tasmania at the moment. It's unbelievable that our Minister for Primary Industry, David Llewellyn could jump into a matter that lies completely outside of his portfolio but being a boring little bogan, who's shit-scared of the rednecks on the Tasman Peninsula, he's seen fit to do this and the so-called Environment Minister, Michelle O'Byrne another time serving political hack who's completely out of her depth, even though it is squarely in her portfolio has said nothing.

I can't wait until the next election, they are just complete ignorant, unprincipled, ignorant, jobsworth bogan f_ckwits. I really hope that they come around and do a doorknock so that I can tell them to their faces.

Our political masters are basically saying that it's appropriate to protect unique marine habitat, using fisheries legislation (the Living Marine Resources AcT), which is actually designed to maximise sustainable yield of economically important species. The impact of this on all other species here, such as the unique and endangered handfish is apparently irrelevant.

Our local Green Party, who would be screaming blue murder if it involved a forest or pulp mill are MIA too.

Originally Posted by Lou

Sounds like the views of commercial fishermen everywhere - only they have the rights to use our seas in their eyes, and they seem to believe they can choose to destroy them if they wish too.

On the bright side, at least the maerl beds are to be protected

Same everywhere Lou.

Rant over (but only until I draw breath).

[Dave Abraham]

Ban dredgers everywhere I say, encourage more divers to take up commercial scallop diving. The price of scallops would go up to the price of truffels, The quality of the scallops improves (no grit from being dredged) demand declines but because of the price, taking 12 scallops per day would pay a wage. The sea bed would be saved, the scallop population would be sustainable. Other marine life can breathe a sigh of relief. Sounds like a win win to me.
Whilst we are on the subject I am not a big fan of trawlers either. Ban them and go to line caught only.
I do not have a problem at all with lobster and crab pots until they are lost in which case if found slash them open.

Ok I know I'm dreaming but what the hell

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by drysuit repair dave

The next stage is the DEFRA consultation. Hopefully some sense will prevail there

Dream on Dave

[Janos]

Originally Posted by drysuit repair dave

DEFRA are making an order to ban all mechanical dredging and demersal trawling, in order to protect the maerl beds and various other benthic features. This is definitely happening, and is completely seperate from the proposal by CSFC

Cheers Dave,

I'd heard rumours of the first bit (a throwaway comment someone said about a new 'crime' to do with Scallop dredging) but didn't realise the second part was the case.

Janos

[Okeanos]

Originally Posted by Lou

Sounds like the views of commercial fishermen everywhere - only they have the rights to use our seas in their eyes, and they seem to believe they can choose to destroy them if they wish too.

On the bright side, at least the maerl beds are to be protected

The Maerl beds have been safe a long time. The eastern side of the channel is the main protected area and dredging in the channel has been banned for a while. Maerl has been growing outside of the channel so we may see an increase in that. The sea bed around the Hera is Maerl/dead Maerl, they haven't banned dredging there, but then there's no Scallops there.

As Dave says, hopefully DEFRA will have more sense.