HUGH Fearnley-Whittingstall has joined the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) in urging the Government to take a strong and cohesive stance on marine wildlife protection. MCS is supporting the call from the Government’s advisors English Nature for a Stop Order on scallop dredging in 10% of Lyme Bay, South Devon. Despite voluntary agreements to protect the threatened corals and other reef species in the area, extensive destruction is now being observed acccording to the MCS who want UK fisheries minister, Ben Bradshaw to signs the Order without delay.

Lyme Bay is a well-documented hotspot for the protected pink seafan, a cold-water coral species that creates extensive reefs providing habitat for a huge diversity of marine life. Lyme Bay also hosts a profitable scallop fishery, including a scallop dredging fishery that scours huge areas of seabed each week.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s nearby River Cottage restaurant regularly features diver-caught Lyme Bay scallops on the menu. “We have always believed that wide scale use of scallop dredging in Lyme Bay is an inappropriate way to collect scallops”, said Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

“We are particularly concerned about the huge collateral damage this

practice causes to other species and the interests of other more sustainable fishing practices”.

Long-term monitoring by Government advisors English Nature and Devon

Wildlife Trust has they say,revealed that many of the reef areas in Lyme Bay are now showing clear signs of damage, largely due to a doubling of the scallop dredge fishing effort operating in Lyme Bay over the last 12 months. It is said to be recent failures to respect voluntary closed areas agreed by local fishermen which has led English Nature to propose a Stop Order to the Fisheries Minister, Ben

Bradshaw. The Order would establish a protected area and prohibit fishing with towed gear within just 10% of the Bay where the most important reefs lie, but yesterday the Stop Order still remained unsigned.

"As well as the eight scallop dredgers that regularly fish the bay, 47 other vessels commercially fish or dive in the area using low impact methods, and all of these users would benefit from protection of the Lyme Bay reefs and the rich marine life they harbour," said Dr Bryce Beukers-Stewart, MCS Fisheries Policy Officer, “Marine protected areas have clear conservation benefits, and there is also increasing evidence that they can also offer fisheries benefits for shellfisheries such as those that target scallops. A carefully designated protected area in Lyme Bay could offer a win-win scenario for fishermen and conservationists alike.”

Lyme Bay is not the only UK site of natural and commercial interest that remains unprotected. Since 1999, environmental groups, Government conservation agencies and County Councils have all lobbied for the introduction of marine protected areas at various sites around the UK including Skomer Island, St. Agnes and Whitsand Bay. Despite considerable efforts to facilitate stakeholder involvement and dialogue, these campaigns have been unable to bring about adequate habitat protection.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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