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DIRECTOR’S REPORT FOR THE QUARTER ENDING 31^st MARCH 2006

Weather : Cold, but with few extremes of temperature by way of frost or ice.  Winds mainly moderate, often from the east.  Surprisingly few gales.

Fishing Activity
Finfish  Although the quiet period of the year, this quarter was exceptionally so.  Few cod or whiting only dogfish and early ray.  Few trawlers or netsmen bothered.  Several Swansea boats turned to whelk.  One trialed prawn pots with a degree of success.  Seals were again in evidence.

MOLLUSCS
Whelk : Fishing continued in Carmarthen Bay save for the 1^st January – 14^th February closed season for which compliance was good.  Two boats fished on outside of the District, and a couple in the Milford Haven.  Yields were reported as being slightly down.  The price remained at £600 per tonne.

Scallop :  Fishing was heavy north of Cardigan, some venturing offshore of the SWSFC district at Fishguard.

Cockles : Stocks are now reduced.  Meat yields poor awaiting spawning.  However, this did not stop a steady trickle of ‘hard core’ local poachers in the Three Rivers estuary especially.  Several were apprehended, even more were driven away

Following the July mortality event, Burry Inlet held mainly 2005 year class – far too small in size to be gathered.  A few hardy souls stuck it out for a bucket or two of bigger cockle from the Burry Port area.

Some local industry were allocated licences for the new Solway Cockle Regulating Order.  When there they found that the poachers and financial circumstances made the situation barely viable.

Mussels : A bed of sublittoral mussel just exposed at Spring tide (low)  drew the attention of up to 20 gatherers – either by hand (at low tide) or by boat towed dredge.  Sizes were excellent and attributable to good growing conditions, but meat yields at 19% were below the autumn peaks of 30%.  This affected prices.

Observations on the state of the mussel bed at St Ishmaels bear comment.  This was partially fished before Xmas using traditional means (rake and riddle).  There are a lot of bare patches possible caused by extra erosion as a consequence of fishing.  Whilst it is still far too early to talk of mussel recruitment which might be expected to these areas, it is probable that if the Committee were able to ban any instrument (i.e. rely upon finger and thumb only) then the yield and resilience of the bed would increase.  Whether local industry would accept and maintain this is another matter.

Oysters :  Up to four vessels continued to fish upstream of Neyland bridge.  A couple also ventured downstream as well following public health classification of the area.

CRUSTACEANS
Nil to report.  Very little fishing as might be expected.  North Pembrokeshire fishermen gained better prices for their prawns following the fitment of selectivity devices.  This is to be encouraged especially as it has come about by fishermen’s own initiative.

GENERAL
The Fishery Protection vessel was in dry dock at the end of February for the scheduled due to refurbishment.  The time was also taken to tidy up loose ends following its 2005 face lift.

Staff took off excess outstanding leave in March arising from the excessive work demands in 2005 from cockle related matters.  To such an extent that the burden ran over into April for most.  The same demands have put financial pressure on the vehicles budgethead.

Various training initiatives were established for certain staff.  This left the ground thinly covered for two months.

Carmarthenshire Council blocked access routes to Cefn Sidan beach, then issued authorisations to a limited number of established netsmen/anglers.  The numbers and arrangements of which remained under consideration.  The move was ostensibly to control access by cockle fishermen (poachers or otherwise).  Officers’ reports indicate that poachers had cut new routes even through fences to maintain their trade.

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

OUTSTANDING CASES