Hand Gathering review  D&S IFCA ‘This information gathering exercise that will end on 26th July 2019 is the last of a three-phase approach to collect information and forms part of a larger plan for D&S IFCA to review the management of the many different Hand Working Fishing Activities.

Focus has already been applied to the use of crab tiles and bait digging. This exercise is intended to focus on a range of hand gathering fishing activities, other than bait digging or the use of crab tiles. We encourage you to read the information we have set out, which includes embedded information (hyperlinks), and base your response around the following questions:

• Do you conduct any of the hand gathering activities we have set out?
• Do you know other people who conduct hand gathering fishing activities?
• Where do you or others conduct hand gathering methods?
• How often do you or others conduct hand gathering activities?
• Do you think there is an issue with any of the hand gathering activities?
• Do you have any comments about the current Byelaws that are relevant to hand gathering fishing methods?
• Is further management or different restrictions required?
• How would any potential changes to the management of hand gathering fishing activities impact you or others? 

Hand Gathering in D&S IFCA’s District.   There are many methods that fall under the term “Hand Gathering”. It is important to clarify that activities already managed via Regulating Orders granted under the Shellfish Act 1967 do not form part of this review. Regulating Orders remove the “Right of Public Fishery” from the area of the designated fishery and provides D&S IFCA with the powers to manage the area. An example would include the Waddeton Fishery Order where D&S IFCA has the management responsibility until 2026 and already imposes restrictions on the fishery for molluscan shellfish as well as shore crabs. Another important Regulating Order exists on the river Teign. This Order however is quite unusual as the grantees are Teign Musselmen’s Association which consist of commercial shellfishermen that operate within the regulating order area.

However, as set out in sections 158 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, where a private fishery exists within a designated Marine Protected Area (MPA) then the management (if it was set out for example in a Byelaw or permit conditions) can apply across the private fishery area without the consent of the private fishery. This could apply to some of the estuaries in Devon, such as the Exe and Dart.’ Click here to see a description and breakdown of the different activities that are coming under the remit of this review