“Rogue fishermen” break Lyme Bay scallop fishing agreement
CMS News reports, 21st August 2012: Within a month of the Blue Marine Foundation signing up local fishermen to support the sustainable management of Lyme Bay and its reefs, four ‘rogue’ fishing boats have been recorded fishing in the closed area.
Charles Clover, the instigator of the Blue Marine Foundation initiative, wrote at length in the Sunday Times (19.08.12) this weekend on the incidents which seem to have reached an all time high in terms of incurring local hostility. Damage to the reefs has been extensive, the local lifeboat was called out at night to go to a reported incident which turned out to be the rogue fishermen and static gear has been destroyed.
One observer on the launch of the Blue Foundation project remembered that it was exactly this sort of incident that destroyed a long standing voluntary agreement — this time it only took a month!
“What the defacement of this national protected area shows is just how callous, cynical and greedy small elements within the fishing community still are. There are still pirates, not far from Penzance. And as more national marine protected areas are proposed, it shows the challenge of policing them.” Charles Clover.
Source: CMS News, 21st August 2012
