15-Jun-2006
- Environment Agency Wales, which is responsible
for the regulation and management of the sea fisheries
in the Dee Estuary, has announced that the Dee
Estuary cockle beds will be closed for fishing
in 2006.
We met recently with fishermen’s
representatives and conservation bodies to discuss
stock levels, following an assessment of the results
of a survey of cockle numbers. The survey showed
that cockle numbers on all beds are low and well
below the minimum numbers for the beds to be opened.
Numbers of younger cockles were also lower than
in recent years, which may be attributable to
the cold winter. However a major problem for fishery
managers is that the population biology of these
shellfish is poorly understood and large variations
in stock can occur for no obvious reason.
The cockle populations and harvest
on the Dee estuary have varied greatly over the
past 20 years partly because of over-cropping.
Harvesting last took place over three days in
2005. The high price of cockles and the closure
of other UK fisheries has also increased the amount
of illegal activity on the estuary.
Alan Winstone, our North Wales
Coast Environment Manager said: "It is vital
that we balance the management of the cockle fishery
with protecting the ecological features and wildlife
of the estuary. It would be inappropriate to open
the beds at these low densities which would not
only damage the fishery but further reduce food
supplies for protected bird species".
"The problems of over-harvesting,
illegal activity and regulation of large numbers
of cocklers in the past has emphasised the need
to introduce a Regulating Order. This will limit
the number of fishermen so that we can develop
a sustainable fishery, which provides a regular
income to those fishermen as well as protecting
wildlife. It will also provide much-needed income
to the Agency to enable us to re-invest into monitoring,
managing and regulating the fishery.
We have consulted on this issue
and although there is broad support for the proposal,
there are still a number of concerns about various
aspects of how the fishery would be managed in
the future. We have applied to Defra and the Welsh
Assembly Government for an order which would allow
50 licences and one of the main concerns is the
means by which licences would be allocated.
A recent meeting with
fishermen’s representatives has come up with some
revised proposals and we will be consulting on
these in the near future. If we are unable to
remove all outstanding objections then we will
need to have a public inquiry, a process which
is likely to take some time to reach a conclusion".
Indeg Jones
