Tag Archives: king scallop season
Size of fishing fleet cut as Isle of Man king scallop season opens
Fewer boats will take to Manx waters for the start of the Isle of Man king scallop season as part of efforts to protect the fishery’s future. Sixty vessels have been authorised to fish by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA), which is down from 75 last year. The cut in the fleet’s size is part of a plan to make the fishery sustainable. DEFA member Michelle Haywood said boat numbers had to be limited or there would “not be enough to go round”. The king scallop fishery, which runs each year from November to May, has opened with an allowable catch of 2,049 tonnes, mirroring the previous season’s total. >click to read< 07:10
Isle of Man catch limit imposed after ‘fishing race’ concerns
Starting on Tuesday, a daily 1,400kg (3,086lbs) limit will be in force for the next six weeks in order to tackle current “unsustainable” fishing rates. An unusually big harvest of king scallops off the island’s west coast has recently attracted fishing boats from all over the British Isles. Manx fishermen said they were unable to compete with such larger vessels. The Isle of Man’s king scallop season runs between November and May. Fisheries minister Geoffrey Boot added: “In the first six days of the 2016-17 season, almost 800 tonnes of king scallops were landed – almost a quarter of the catch recorded last season. Some vessels were landing in excess of 8,000kg a day. Read the rest here 16:06
