Scallop dredging under fire
Campaigners say scallop dredging at Lime Bay is harming reefs
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Tuesday, 27, Nov 2007 01:25
Scallop dredging at one of Britain's most praised marine wildlife sites is having a devastating impact on the environment, campaigners say.
Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) claims that the reefs at Lime Bay on England's south coast are under threat from dredging, which destroys both seabed species and their habitats.
It is calling for fisheries minister Jonathan Shaw to bring in a ban on the practice as it says voluntary agreements have broken down.
The calls come during a consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on the future of the bay, which concludes in three weeks on December 21st.
Three options are under consideration: the first, to close four areas of the reefs to dredging; the second, to exclude the use of all towed gear in a 25sq mile area; and the third, to ban towed gear in a 60sq mile area.
The reefs are said to be a haven for corals, sponges, sea firs and starfish and they support seafood animals including crabs and lobsters.
DWT says a total of 300 species have been found on Lyme Bay's reefs, including the nationally protected pink sea fan and the extremely rare sunset coral, which is found at just three other sites around the UK coast.
Paul Gompertz, DWT director, said: "If this mindless destruction were taking place on land there would be an outcry. Yet here in one of the UK's most valuable and important marine habitats it is commonplace and uncontrolled.
"Acres of seabed are being trashed - it is like picking mushrooms with a JCB. The only way to protect the reefs before we lose them forever is a legally-enforced ban on dredging in the complete reef area."
It is estimated that that the economic value of the sustainable use of the reefs to local communities is double that of scallop dredging. Tourism in the area is boosted by sports divers keen to see the reefs.
In response to DWT's claims, Jim Portus of the South West Fish Producers' Organisation said fishing in the Lime Bay area has been carried out in a sustainable way for generations.
"[The fishermen] steer clear of the reef areas; they're not productive for fish and scallops anyway, not for the use of towed gear," he told the Today programme.
"So all their activity is in the area around the reefs that were identified for the fishermen by the Wildlife Trusts in the past.
"They're contributing to the local economy of south Dorset and south Devon and I want that to continue."