Two articles from the Welsh Government and the response from MCS.

Welsh Government   ‘The Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, has announced new management measures for the Scallop fishery in Cardigan Bay The consultation followed a two-year programme of wide-ranging research by Bangor University, in collaboration with the fishing industry, within the Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation.   This was the first study of its kind and found some fishing activity is possible, within specific areas, with no adverse impact on the Special Area of Conservation. This research offers a unique opportunity to implement an ecosystem based approach to management of the fishery.

Two further independent scientific peer reviews, of the evidence presented by Bangor University, were carried out and concluded this to be of robust and high scientific merit.  Based on this research and after considering all 5,500 responses to the consultation, the Cabinet Secretary has decided to proceed with a new flexible permit scheme within Cardigan Bay. This includes careful management of the fishery, which will apply appropriate conditions to maximise the fishery and protect the site features at all times; a management advisory board including science, industry and environmental representatives to provide advice to the Welsh Government on permit conditions and an annual consultation to seek views on the conditions to be applied, keeping stakeholders involved in developments in the fishery.  Click here to read more and access the reports.

Cardigan Bay Scallops – Conservation Charity Says No Damaging Fishing Activities Should Be Allowed In Welsh Marine Protected Sites

MCS ‘Welsh government has revealed plans which could result in new parts of a protected site in our seas being opened up to damaging practices. Leading environmental charity, the Marine Conservation Society, is urging decision makers to recognise that over half of Wales’ protected sites are currently degraded and deserve better protection. Campaigners say that that the prospect of opening up new areas to scallop dredging within the Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) will be disastrous for the continued recovery of the protected area, which has been heavily exploited in the past. Cardigan Bay is home to one of the UK’s largest breeding groups of bottlenose dolphins, and important reefs and sandbanks. A large part of the Bay was made into a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in 2004, and in 2010 scallop dredging was banned there, meaning decades of dragging heavy dredges, with long steel teeth and mesh nets across the seabed was finally at an end. Part of the SAC was later reopened to this activity. As this fishing area has become depleted, plans to open other areas of the protected site are being proposed.’ Click here to read more