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Cockle Controversy Grinds On


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#1 Barry McCrindle

Barry McCrindle

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Posted 14 January 2012 - 02:51 PM

From www.fishnewseu.com

Quote


ACCORDING to the Lancashire Evening Post, cocklers on the Ribble Estuary are hoping to persuade fishery bosses to reopen the area’s controversial cockle beds before the season finishes in April. They are due to put their case to the Inland Fisheries and Conservation Angency (IFCA) on Monday and hope fishing can resume by March.
But Dr Stephen Atkins, chief executive of IFCA, said the beds, which were closed on safety grounds in early November, were unlikely to reopen before September, when the new season begins. He told the paper that: “The matter was discussed by IFCA last month when data was presented showing that cockle stocks were a lot lower than they had been at the beginning of September. It showed that four fifths of the cockles had been removed.”
He said that the windy weather during December was likely to have made this worse, causing cockles on the exposed bank to be washed away.
But Lytham-based fisherman Paul Sumner, who will be at next week’s meeting, told the paper he was hoping the banks would be back in business by March. He said: “The last few months have been very tough for some of the local fishermen and I know some who’ve been taking additional safety qualifications.
“IFCA might go out to examine the beds and find there’s nothing there because of the horrendous weather we’ve had recently, but I’d like to see them open again as soon as possible.” Councillor Tommy Threlfall, cabinet member for the environment with Fylde Council, set up the meeting which he said was just the first step in addressing some of the issues raised. He said: “I’d like to see a management plan in place and safety measures introduced so that everyone’s concerns are addressed, including the residents, the RNLI and the fishermen.”


I always see both sides of the argument, the one that's wrong and mine.....



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