SUMMARY OF RESPONSES TO THE CONSULTATION ON THE PROPOSED OYSTER TRADERS LOGBOOK AND IDENTIFICATION TAGGING REGULATIONS 2011

Transcription

1 SUMMARY OF RESPONSES TO THE CONSULTATION ON THE PROPOSED OYSTER TRADERS LOGBOOK AND IDENTIFICATION TAGGING REGULATIONS 2011

2 Loughs Agency 22 Victoria Road, Prehen, Londonderry, BT47 2AB Tel: Fax: Txt Phone: This document is available on the Loughs Agency website:

3 Background The proposed Regulations will ensure that all underweight oysters of a legal size being sent to oyster traders are graded and surrendered to the Loughs Agency. These oysters will then be placed back into a protected area within Lough Foyle by officers of the Loughs Agency to ensure that they reach the required weight of 65 grams before they can be offered for sale. Recommendation The Loughs Agency has reviewed the consultation responses and proposes to bring forward Regulations to introduce the Oyster Traders Logbook and Identification Tagging Regulations in Lough Foyle for the 2011/2012 oyster fishery season.

4 SUMMARY OF RESPONSES

5 Response received from: Summary of comments made: Loughs Agency response: William Harper Careful management of all fishery resources is necessary for long term sustainability. Proper scientific research is required to ensure good regulations and must be quantified to be meaningful. Ongoing monitoring is required to ensure the regulations are having the desired effect. The livelihood of traditional fishermen should also be considered. It is probably better to ere on the safe side as experience with other fisheries would suggest, it is very difficult to recover a viable population once extensive damage has occurred No comment to make. Food Standards None required. Agency Michael Farren I have read the RIA and I am satisfied that the None required. benefits justify the costs. Disability Action No comment to make None required. Joe McLaughlin I have read the RIA and I am satisfied that the benefits justify the costs. As a point of interest I would like to suggest a system be introduced whereby we could be allowed to fish Saturday or Sunday in lieu of days lost through the The Agency would agree with Mr Harper s comments. The Agency believes that the current allocation of days throughout the season is sufficient to allow fishermen to realise the fishery s current potential

6 Sean Keys working week due to bad weather. I myself know at firsthand what happens when Regulation is not implemented vis a vis Lough Swilly. The Lough Swilly fishery is the Foyle 10 years ago. Blatant over fishing, undersized oysters harvested. Fishermen are now plundering the Foyle catchment area. Large catches were boasted about for the opening month of October. Catches of 15 bags per boat for the opening weeks is totally unsustainable and I would concur totally with a logbook / tagging scheme. Any trader caught with undersized oysters should meet with severe punishment and these regulations strictly enforced. Housing Executive No comment to make. None required. Department of Defence No comment to make. None required. Robert McKinley I think that the tagging of graded oysters is plausible but not with individual numbers on tags, individual boats should have tags with their licence number on these buyers tags instead of individual numbers and a record of the total weight of graded oysters should be recorded on the buyers logbook and returned and does not propose to allow Saturday or Sunday fishing. Mr Keys comments are noted. The Agency is of the view that both fishermen and traders should complete logbooks. This will aid the Agency in accurately assessing the landings from the fishery.

7 to the Loughs Agency on a weekly or seasonal bases. To the point of the weight of an oyster that can be marketable i.e.; 65 grams. I totally agree with this point and have to say if the Loughs Agency had introduced this law at the beginning then the oyster stock would be a lot healthier than to day. As the oysters are graded and surrendered then there should be no law to say the percentage of underweight to marketable oysters as it is almost impossible to weigh oysters on a small boat. Oysters of underweight size should be bagged and either the boat they belong to or the Loughs Agency should return them to the main fishing grounds. I totally disagree with proposal of a closed area for the dumping of underweight oysters. The reason is that the Loughs Agency will be totally unable to patrol that area from fishing, as they are unable to control the closed area in the South Side from fishing which has received a lot of dredging this The Agency is introducing a minimum weight restriction in response to fishermen s concerns through the Oyster Traders Logbook and Tagging Regulations. The reason for the Oyster Traders Logbook and Tagging Regulations is to avoid the issue of fishermen attempting to weigh oysters at sea. The Agency notes Mr Mc Kinley s concerns relating to closed areas and we are exploring ways to ensure that these areas are protected from illegal fishing.

8 2010/11 season when it has supposed to receive none due to disease. I have witnessed half a dozen of boats persisting to fish in this area and have rarely seen the Loughs Agency patrol this area especially since November 2010 I am a self employed fisherman and an individual and would like to make this point that I do not belong to any committee or group and I am not represented by anyone other than myself. I have learned that a small amount of oystermen and out casters are looking for fishing on a Saturday. If these boats would fish during the week and be satisfied with that then the fishery would have less problems.