Solway Cockle Fishery Management Study

Footnotes

¹ 'Minimum Viable Density for hand-gathering is about 300 cockles/m2, for 'blowing' about 100/m2, and for hydraulic dredging 50-100/m2. The improving efficiency of pumps and dredges has enabled suction dredgers to harvest at stock densities as low as 10-20/m2.' (Dare et al, 2004: 24)

² This is was due to specific concerned raised in the stakeholder meetings which took place in April and October 2012 for the request for benefits of hand gathering to be explored and due to the short nature of the study to limit the requirements needed from enforcement agencies to manage mechanical methods of cockle collection. For this study cockles in the Solway Firth are to be harvested using artisanal hand gathering techniques only until other methods can be thoroughly investigated to gauge their sustainability and desire of inclusion in the management regime.

³ A Gangmaster is a person who organises and oversees the work of casual labourers in the agricultural, horticultural and shellfish industries and are regulated under the Gangmasters Licencing Authority.

⁴ These figures are the total landed tonnage divide by the number of pickers. This is slight lower than the two person team as in some case one picker worked alone.

⁵ In the case of cockling days could be longer (over 8 hours) but equally in the summer months, two tides could be fished on the same day which would double income in a 24 hours period.

⁶ Under the Aquaculture and Fisheries Act 2013 section 49 - "A person commits an offence if - (a) the person is found in, or in the immediate vicinity of, the area specified in an order under section 1 of this Act; (b) the person is found there at, or about, a time at which the prohibition under the order applies; (c) when so found, the person is in possession of such equipment, vehicle, apparatus or other gear or paraphernalia (including clothing) as may be used for the purpose of fishing in contravention of the order; and (d) it is reasonable to infer from those facts (either by themselves or taken together with other circumstances) that the person intends to fish in contravention of the order."

⁷ Rules around holding this tenure would need to be defined but licences should not necessarily be considered as owned or viewed as an asset by the licence holder.

⁸ EC Regulation 853/2004 on rule for products of animal origin: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:226:0022:0082:EN:PDF

⁹ EC Regulation 854/2004: On official controls: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:226:0083:0127:EN:PDF

¹⁰ Sampling protocols can be found on the Cefas website here: http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/media/600472/shellfish%20sampling%20and%20transport%20protocol%20final%20version%204%20may%2013.pdf