Ramsey Bay: Government opens two-week window to fish for scallops

Ramsey Bay's Marine Nature Reserve is closed to dredging for 50 weeks of the year

Scallop fishing is to be allowed for two weeks in a Manx nature reserve to bring in "a bumper harvest" before Christmas, the government has said.

Ten Manx boats have been given permission to fish in Ramsey Bay's Marine Nature Reserve, which is closed to dredging for 50 weeks of the year.

A government spokesman said allowing a short period of fishing "balances the needs of people and the environment".

Michelle Haywood MHK said only a small part of the reserve would be affected.

Ms Haywood, the government member for environment, said king scallops were "one of those prized products that really does help support the market generally" and the permissions given were "a really good example of how you can very, very carefully" manage fishing activity in different areas.

A government spokesman said the move aimed to bring in "a bumper harvest of the highest quality king scallops in the run-up to Christmas".

"This approach balances the needs of people and the environment", he added.

The two-week Ramsey Bay fishing allowance is the only time dredging activity is permitted in a Manx nature reserve.

David Beard, the chief executive of the Manx Fish Producers Organisation, said the restricted approach was "unique in the British Isles and has proven that fishing and flourishing eco-systems can co-exist successfully".