Three Rivers Cockle Fishery To Remain Closed. Following a successful but small scale fishery at Llanstephan earlier in the summer, the Committee’s stock assessment surveys have indicated that the mortality process afflicting cockle stocks across South Wales has continued since the fishery closed in July. Although that process was arrested by thinning of stocks by the cockle industry, shellfish numbers have dwindled and the Committee are now gravely concerned at the situation. A Committee spokesman said “there are now almost no significant commercial quantities of cockles in South Wales. We can only observe the cockles perish and attempt to make some available to the industry before they die. Local cockle gatherers are now forced to travel to northwest England to earn their living. “Whilst cockle seem to spawn successfully, they are apparently unable to live beyond their first full year; consequently that has dire consequences for their size and value to industry, and also for their availability as food for over-wintering migratory birds. The Committee continues to works with other agencies to launch an investigation into why the process is happening both in the Three Rivers and the Burry Inlet fisheries and will be holding meetings in September to amplify its call for resources. “It is also hoped that considerations by the National Assembly, Countryside Council for Wales and Carmarthenshire County Council of a Licensing Scheme for the Three Rivers fishery will avoid any further delays in its implementation before the fishery opens next year. |
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