Meeting date now announced for Plymouth on 2nd May 2024.
D&S IFCA’s Environment Officers are now arranging meetings with permit holders across the District. The Plymouth meeting will be held on Thursday 2nd May 16:30-18:30 at the Plymouth Trawler Agents auction room. Subsequent meetings in the south of the District are to follow.
There are two topics that Officers hope to discuss, to help D&S IFCA better understand the activities and the concerns of Netting and Potting Permit Holders:
- Concerns about management of crab and lobster.
Building on the momentum from the development and publication of the Crab and Lobster Fisheries Management Plan and its proposals for early management interventions, Officers would like to hear more about local concerns for these fisheries, and opinions on their management: including for example effort controls, access arrangements, and the issues surrounding soft-shelled (“white”) crab as bait in whelk fisheries.
2. Importance of fishing grounds to local fishermen.
D&S IFCA regularly responds to consultations on the impacts of marine developments, aiming to highlight impacts of these development on fishing activities and fish. By identifying important fishing areas, D&S IFCA can engage with national decision-making bodies to ensure that the existing fishing uses of the sea are properly accounted for, and that the possible impacts of co-location and displacement of fishing activities by marine developments are properly considered/mitigated/avoided. Although the increasing use of IVMS devices will help with this over time, it won’t yet provide a full picture of potting and netting fishing activity and so it is important that the views of permit holders are heard now.
Permit holders will receive direct communications about meetings taking place near them. However, if you would like more information then please get in touch with the Environment Team using the details below.
Sarah Clark (Deputy Chief Officer)
07515 050887 | s.clark@devonandsevernifca.gov.uk
James Stewart (Senior Environment Officer)
07720 683624 | J.Stewart@devonandsevernifca.gov.uk
Lauren Parkhouse (Environment Officer)
07740 175480 | L.Parkhouse@devonandsevernifca.gov.uk
Nadine Hanlon (Environment Officer/ Marine Development Officer)
07928 620630 | N.Hanlon@devonandsevernifca.gov.uk