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DIRECTOR’S REPORT FOR THE QUARTER ENDING 31ST MARCH 2008

Weather : The period was generally mild although February and March were ‘cool’ with northerly winds prevailing in March.  January was particularly mild, stormy and wet.  February was uncharacteristically lacking in wind.

Fishing Activity
Finfish : This quietest period of the year was exceptionally so – with just a few flounders, dogfish and ray to anglers.

Netsmen and trawlers fished very little, partly as a consequence of high fuel costs not being covered by the catches.  Low quotas of cod in the early part did not help also.

The spring season, however, was poor for both codling and whiting.  Some codling (2-4 lbs) was taken by Charter boats fishing the north Devon side.

MOLLUSCS
Whelk : The 1st January to 14th February closure was respected, with two boats fishing offshore of the ban.

Cockles : As previously reported, cockle stocks were generally low or comprised of only small spat.  Activity (legal or otherwise) was therefore low and Fishery Officers had a quiet time.  Some decent cockle existed at Laugharne, and attempts at poaching activity were largely thwarted.

Similarly, in the Burry Inlet a few licence holders took around 62 tonnes only at ca £400/tonne (£20/cwt), to a 17.5mm minimum size.

Mussel : Mussel fishing activity on the north side of the Burry Inlet continued much later than was normal.  Graders were used to comply with the minimum size, however some concerns have been raised as to the extent that gradings which are returned, hold and survive.  This appears to be area, tide and season etc specific and is being monitored.  The only solution being to ban gathering except ‘finger and thumb’ only – not something which the SWSFC (or any SFC) is yet empowered.  This is part of the awaited ‘mini’ byelaw review.

Scallop : The period was noticeable for the rapid increase in scallop vessel activity, particularly by visiting craft.  Around 60 vessels of different sizes were fishing Cardigan Bay in February/March.  SWSFC FPV Cranogwen was monitoring this activity on behalf of NWNWSFC as their FPV Aegis had engine trouble.

The subsequent action by NWNWSFC on the 25th March to temporary close some inshore areas led to rapid displacement of around 20 vessels southward to our district.  The remaining vessels were either too large to fish inside 12nmiles or were restricted by the SWSFC 150 VCU vessel capacity cap.

Fishery Officer reports’ show good compliance with scallop minimum sizes, dredge number and vessel size.  However, conflict between fishermen over gear damage (pots by scallop dredgers) was increasingly being reported.
This is the first time that the district had been seriously fished for scallop since c 1979.  Catches were good at up to 400 x 25 kg bags from a 3-4 day trip sold at £42-£60 per bag (£17-24,000); which explains the influx of effort.

CRUSTACEANS
This is usually the quiet part of the season, and most gear is onshore or the boats being tendered to. Except this year the North Pembs officer has had to be vigilant checking catches for undersized edible crab and spider crab.  Several warnings were given and one case is under consideration for prosecution.  Several reasons for this have been put forward including novice crew, rushed measuring in inclement weather and financial hardship.Officers remain vigilant.

GENERAL
The Fishery Patrol Vessel went on show to the Environment Minister, AMs and Coastal Partnership in February, berthed alongside the Senedd in Cardiff.  Participation was fairly low, but those that did attend spoke highly of the experience.  Several AMs have subsequently expressed an interest and we are trying to accommodate them with another viewing. 

At a time when Officers are short on time at the end of the leave year, the above and extra scallop enforcement work (including out of area for NWNWSFC) put a lot of pressure upon resources.  Officers are to be congratulated for their flexibility and good humour in which they have turned to these extra burdens.

Over 100 yellow dyed oystercatchers are now active around the Burry Inlet and Three Rivers Estuaries (SWSFC Quarterly 10/12/2007).  Officers have viewed many thousands of birds, but spotted only a few!

Several Fishery Officers attended the annual SFC Training course at Torquay.

The Marine Conservation Officer returned from a period of sickness to pick up a wide range of monitoring activities ahead of the spring cockle survey season.

FO Tilling continues to develop a leaflet to inform various recreational fishermen of those byelaws which most readily apply.
Slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata) chains (i.e. adult) have been found in a small lower shore mussel bed off Burry Port.  CCW raised concern as to their potential transfer (as ‘alien’ species) to slipper limpet free areas (e.g. North Wales).  A survey process has commenced to ascertain their number and extent so that the feasibility of an eradication process can be considered.

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

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

OUTSTANDING CASESMARCH 2008

CONCLUDED CASES - END MARCH 2008

press release 01/08 - Date: 11 January 2008
Nino Williams, a reporter for the South Wales Evening Post attended this hearing and the following material was carried in the local edition and on the SWEP website.

SMALL COCKLES LAND HARVESTER £1,500 BILL
A Cockle harvester with almost 40 years' experience is facing a £1,500 bill for taking undersize cockles from the Burry Inlet. David Brian Jones, aged 54, of Penyrheol Farm, Blue Anchor, Penclawdd, was one of seven men charged with the offence following an operation by South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee officers last summer. His co-defendants will appear in court on March 11.

Jones pleaded guilty to the charge before Swansea magistrates, and also admitted taking in excess of his daily quota and refusing to redeposit the excess. But three other charges brought against him, including one of obstructing a fisheries officer, were dropped.

Defending, Stuart Ratti said: "Mr Jones has held a licence to gather cockles since 1968, and other than these technical breaches he is someone who had done his utmost to adhere to the regulations of the industry.

”He accepts there were cockles he was not allowed to take by the strict interpretation of the bylaw, which is the reason for his guilty plea."

Jones was spotted taking the cockles by fisheries officers on June 14.

Further investigations revealed that he had taken 455kg of cockles from the inlet - 105kg more than his licence-permitted daily quota.

A significant proportion of the cockles were found to be 17.5 millimetres in size, less than the 19-millimetre minimum which had been set by the fisheries committee.[In fact the minimum size was 17.5mm and 46% of the catch was below this size – DepDir.] The wholesale value of the cockles was estimated to be £160, although the court was told the retail value following processing was likely to be much higher.

In Jones's defence, Mr Ratti told magistrates that much of the harvest contained "rushed" cockles, containing sand and shells, which had dramatically increased the total weight of his haul, and that the amount of undersize cockles he had taken was just six per cent over the permitted quota.
He added: "At the time he was asked to redeposit the cockles, the tide was coming in and it would have been suicidal to do so."

Magistrates fined Jones £500 for each offence, and also ordered him to pay £100 court costs.
Charges of taking undersize cockles and gathering cockles without a licence against his son, 19-year-old Benjamin Jones, were dropped.

press release 2/08 - Date: 18 March 2008
COCKLES WERE UNDERSIZED
In two cases before Swansea Magistrate’s Court last week, local shellfish harvesters in the Burry Inlet cockle fishery were found to have contravened South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee byelaws.

In the first trial, three Llanelli men; Richard Nicholas of 5 Heol Morfa; David Turner of 42 Lando Rd; and Clive Rees of 29 Heol Tregonning were found guilty of removing a catch of cockle on 24 July 2007 in which more than 50% were below the minimum size limit. Claims that they had gathered their catch in an area where 40% undersized was allowed were rejected. They had also failed to comply with licence conditions regarding the identification of their catches. They were each fined a total of £330 and ordered to pay £130 in costs.

In the second trial, two Penclawdd gatherers, Gordon Eaton of 14 Church Lane; and Andre Swistun of 60 Station Road were also convicted of removing undersized cockle. In their catches almost 90% was below the regulation minimum size. The men claimed to be in the process of undertaking a further sorting process; a version of events not accepted by the Court which fined them £255 and ordered the payment of £162.50 in prosecution costs.

Commenting after the cases, a Committee spokesman said “the Burry Inlet cockle fishery is facing considerable difficulties at the present time after a number of years where cockles have inexplicably died. Whilst the Committee works with its partners to find the cause and solution to these problems, it is vital that what gathering activity can be allowed is conducted in strict adherence to the regulations. Only in this way will the cockles have a chance to regenerate.”