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DIRECTOR’S REPORT FOR THE QUARTER ENDING 31^th DECEMBER 2006

Weather : Mild and wet, with periods of extreme gales from the south west at the end of October and November and the bulk of December.  Accordingly sea temperatures were above average and periods for vessel fishing were limited.

Fishing Activity
Finfish : Trawling was limited to two vessels from Milford, a few from Swansea and the two larger ‘rule beater’ vessels.  Catches were of plaice, sole, rays, cod, whiting and depending on location and gear, bass.

Even though cod stocks on a UK basis are reportedly very low, there was a fair showing of fish in the 2 – 5lb stamp to the east of the District, and these might be expected to move towards Swansea Bay in the New Year.

October bass catches were reasonable to nets and rod and line, but the fish were very ‘picky’ as to sandbank location and did not show on some marks, whilst other venues that used to historically do well, have done so again.

MOLLUSCS
Whelk : A few boats persisted in Carmarthen bay selling at £600 per tonne.

Cockles : Very few medium/large cockle is present anywhere.  Accordingly the only legal effort rested upon the activities of a few Burry Inlet licence holders fishing spat (0+ cockle) in the 12-15mm range on the lower reaches and Middle bank area.  Prices were naturally low at £250-£300 per tonne reflecting poor meat yields.  This fishing, effectively on next years stock, will be kept under close review.  However, it is worrying to note that in some areas of the Burry Inlet cockle mortality was again evident – the first time ever it has been observed in the autumn and on spat (rather than on adult).

Similarly the Three Rivers estuary (the subject of a Seasonal Closure) remained quiet with little poaching.  Again small cockle size and markets was the reason.

Again, larger autumn cockle mortality has been observed on spat and older cockle especially at Laugharne, with estimates of losses between 70 and 90%.  This is extremely worrying, and samples have been sent to CEFAS Weymouth for histological examination to see if the underlying cause can be identified.  So far the problem has been limited to Laugharne, suggesting some sort of local influence, but at the time of writing further mortality at Llanstephan and Ferryside is suspected.

Efforts are in hand, working with industry, to put in place a study group and secure both short and long term funding to investigate the causes of this cockle mortality, now into its fifth year.  It has significant economic and ecological implication.

Mussels : As reported in the last quarter, hand collection of mussel seed was authorised at Whiteford Point.  Some 40/50 people fished low water spring tide periods taking 10 tonnes per day at £125 per tonne.  The rough weather in December curtailed the activity prematurely, and there are indications from mussels on the strand line that substantial storm loss has occurred.

Two groups of gatherers continued to use graders on St Ishmaels mussel to take legal sized shellfish returning the discards to the beds.  About 8 tonnes per week were removed at a price of c £400 per tonne.  (c128t £52k total). 

As beds were becoming thinned, the fishery was closed on 22nd December.  Again this area has been hit by the weather (waves, tides and fresh water) and has seen very substantial erosion of the overlying sand to expose large blocks of underlying peat.  The fishing of sized (>51mm) mussel using ‘finger and thumb’ has been allowed to continue in order that personal needs and artisnal markets can be met.

Oysters: Six boats have dredge fished the seasonal Cleddau fishery mainly upstream of Neyland Bridge.

CRUSTACEANS
Pot and net fishing was seasonally limited, the stormy weather adding another burden.

The autumn season produces the best edible crab, and this season was no exception.  Catches improved in north Pembrokeshire, quality and prices were good (£2.50 per kg).  Spider crab undertook their seasonal migration offshore.  The warm water suited lobster feeding and catches continued into late autumn, as has now become the seasonal norm.

Gaffkemia disease
A worrying development has been the confirmation by CEFAS of the lobster disease ‘Gaffkemia’ in lobster holding tanks at Neyland.  This is a bacterial infection that has no public health implication, but when it infects the blood of lobsters causes them to be weakened.  Losses of stock can be high during storage and transportation.  The remedy is to disinfect all apparatus and quarantine the establishment during the process.  This has been done.  Gaffkemia is endemic in the USA and Canada in American lobster (including in wild populations), but it is rare to see it in European lobster.  Those UK instances identified in the past are believed to have been traced back to contact with American lobster.  However the source on this occasion remains a mystery.  More worrying is the possibility that lobsters in the wild are infected before they reached the holding tanks, and this possibility is currently being investigated by CEFAS, Weymouth.  Whatever the cause and transfer route, as Gaffkemia is a bacterial disease, its existence is very temperature dependent and the situation is likely being exacerbated by the mild weather and concomitant high winter sea temperatures.

Prawn fishing in north Pembrokeshire has reached its seasonal peak.  Fishermen have been making more effort to voluntarily take only larger prawn (i.e. in their 2nd or 3rd year).  Quality has improved as have prices (£22 per kg maximum), up to 1 tonne per week now being taken.  In recognition of the need to sustain the fishery and maintain landings and prices, the fishing industry has approached the regulators in Wales (both SFCs and WAG) for control measures – a first as far as I am aware!

GENERAL
Fishery Protection vessel staff have performed very well in maximizing the use of the vessel during weather windows.

Stephen Rees was recruited by means of public advertisement and interview in November and joins the staff in January.  We welcome him on board.  His Royal Navy diving and Fishery Protection experience will no doubt stand him in good stead to meet the challenges ahead.

Storm conditions have been to the fore this quarter, Carmarthen Bay in particular has taken something of a battering.  Fishery Officer reports masses of strandings of by the wind sailor jelly fish (Vellela vellela), and bivalve shellfish of all descriptions especially Ensis (which is normally deep burrowing).

Officers report tens of thousands of oystercatchers and other wading birds species making the most of this ‘windfall’.  It will be interesting to see if the BTO counts confirm the local increase and where they have come from.

Committees’ biologist, aided by CCW grant funded Biodiversity Officer, continue to collect data and monitor the state of shellfish stocks in the face of this unprecedented change, as well as involving themselves in a whole range of other work from bait digging, to ray conservation, electric fishing to bass catch monitoring, environmental assessment to monitoring lobster movements.  An essential part of the SFC service as recognized by Committee for so long and implemented through the small relative increases in budget over recent years.

NOTE :  Some inspections are covered under more than one legislation and therefore can appear as more than one count in each period.

OUTSTANDING CASES 2006

CONCLUDED CASES - END DECEMBER 2006

Members’ attention is drawn to Prosecution cases concluded within the quarter by way of reference to Press Releases issued.

press release 12/06                       date: 29 November 2006

ILLEGAL DRIFT NETTING COSTS LLANELLI MEN £1800

Two Llanelli men caught drift netting in prohibited areas of Carmarthen Bay were fined after pleading guilty to charges heard in Carmarthen Magistrates Court on Friday 24 November 2006.

The Magistrates heard that Fishery Officers of the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee had observed a boat being launched from Cefn Sidan in the early hours of 15 June. It proceeded into the Bass Nursery Area established under byelaw in the estuaries of the rivers Gwendraeth, Tywi and Taf. A drift net was deployed on the ebbing tide which fished down a narrow channel toward Carmarthen Bar where such netting is also prohibited to protect migrating salmon and sewin.

Officers apprehended the two men when they returned to the shore to recover the boat. A net and a quantity of mixed sea fish worth £85 were seized. When measured, the net was more than double the 100 metres allowed for an unregistered boat.

Owain Harries, of 22 Upper Cross Street, Llanelli, who had previous convictions for illegal drift netting, was fined £1000 and ordered to pay £247 towards prosecution costs. Clayton Francis, owner of the boat, of 41 Florence Street, Llanelli was fined £300 with £274 costs.

The men told the Magistrates they had lost a net earlier in the day from a nearby area, and only came upon the net they hauled whilst searching. In imposing the penalties, Magistrates commented that as habitual fishermen, they should have known the rules. It was important that fish stocks in sensitive areas were conserved for all in the community.

£500 PENALTY FOR UNAUTHORISED VEHICLE
A fine of £250 and costs of £250 were imposed in his absence upon Clayton Francis, of 41 Florence Street, Llanelli by Magistrates in Carmarthen on Monday 27 November, for taking a vehicle on to a restricted part of the foreshore in the Taf estuary near Laugharne.

The court heard that Fishery Officers of SWSFC were on anti-cockle poaching patrol near Llanybri on 1st June 2006, when they came upon two Land Rovers bogged down in the salt marsh. The cockle fishery was closed and Byelaw regulations prohibit the use of vehicles in that area which, designated as a SSSI, is sensitive to disturbance. The marsh had been churned up by the attempts to free the vehicles.

Francis was fined the same amount as his accomplice, Nigel Davies, of Square Hall, Pemberton, Llanelli who, having pleaded guilty to the same charge, was dealt with by the Court on 2 October where additional costs of £100 were imposed.