Scallops: 'Lack of progress' in Cardigan Bay fishing rules

Fishermen and conservationists have said they are frustrated by lack of progress after a decision to allow more scallop fishing in a spot off the Welsh coast.

In 2016, the Welsh Government said a more flexible area around Cardigan Bay would be introduced.

It said Brexit had slowed work, but expected to make "significant progress" this year.

Environmentalists said any increase had to be done with minimal impact.

But fishermen said an opportunity to make a decent living was being missed.

Father and son Robbie and John Gorman own a scallop trawler called the Joanna, moored in Aberystwyth harbour.

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Lobster fishing is their main work but scallops provide much-needed income during the winter.

Current rules allow them to dredge for scallops only in one small area in Cardigan Bay for a limited period.

But they insist a larger area could be fished without damaging the marine habitat.

"It's nonsensical. It doesn't harm the environment - it's something that can be cropped sensibly," said Robbie Gorman.

"When you're fishing somewhere and picking up a relatively small catch of scallops and there's a closed area the other side of a line where they're knee-deep - it's a stupid waste and they're only going to die of old age and just lie there rotting."

Father and son Robbie (left) and John Gorman

Overfishing in the early 2000s led to a decision by the Welsh Government to close the scallop fishery, but 10 years ago a small area was re-opened.

Mick Green, a senior policy advisor with Whale and Dolphin Conservation, said the group was "not happy" about the 2016 decision, but had accepted it.

However, he added: "But we think there are other methods - for example Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have teamed up with people farming scallops in crates, so you don't have to scrape the sea bed, you just pick up the crates.

"If the Welsh Government had spent two years looking at things like that, we might have got somewhere by now, but at the moment we're all up in the air."

He said the group would work with fishermen to ensure it was "as least damaging as possible, so that they make their livelihood and we still have our wildlife".

Mick Green from Whale and Dolphin Conservation said they "have to accept" that a decision has been made

Environment Minister Lesley Griffiths said: "I remain fully committed to introducing flexible management for fisheries in Wales, including our scallop fishery, to ensure sustainable management of this natural resource.

"While the demands of leaving the European Union have slowed this work, I fully expect to make significant progress on flexible management for Welsh fisheries in 2020."

The Welsh Government said there were 39 vessels permitted to fish for scallops with dredgers in Welsh waters and before any fishery measures are implemented, it must satisfy the rigorous environmental assessment process to demonstrate there was no adverse impact on the protected features of this marine site.

But those representing the Welsh fishing industry said a vital opportunity was being missed.

Jerry Percy, director of the New Under Ten Fishermen's Association, representing crews using boats smaller than 10ft, pointed to research conducted by marine scientists at Bangor University which contributed to the Welsh Government's consultation.

"The science says we can fish there sustainably without having an undue impact," he said.

"It is a special area of conservation and you have to fish in those areas without having a significant adverse impact on the integrity of the site.

"It's not for me as a fisherman to say there should be fishing there, the science says we can do that without adversely harming the dolphins or anything else there."