You may think its a strange title heading but I am referring to the 42 Scottish 'scallop dredgers' which are operating in Cardigan Bay off the Ceredigion coast 24 hours a day. Why are they here? Well its because there are restrictions on dredging on their home grounds in Scottish waters and in addition the closure of the Lyme Bay operation these chaps have moved (or cruised) en-masse to 'piratise' our waters. To give you an idea of what their actions might do to the sea bed and consequently the entire marine eco-system someone described it to me admirably. In terrestrial terms its like ploughing up a vibrant wildflower meadow. It is immensely destructive. These operations are occurring 'legally' but personally I'm not sure if the word carries much clout in any situation in the present day. However as you all know the Bay is an environmentally sensitive area and is an S.A.C. (Special Area of Conservation) What! This is surely sacrilege. Well you all know about by-catch. Do you seriously think that the hideous methods employed by the dredgers can discriminate between scallops and other forms of marine life? We can only speculate as to what else 'perishes' in the wake of the dredger or trawl (think of that when you next buy your pack of frozen scallops!). It seems that the dredgers occasionally work close inshore and at night (now why doesn't that surprise me- you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure than one out). Basically these boats are not being monitored and therein lies the crux of the matter. At present no scientific body is conducting any analysis on the possible effects of the dredging on the marine environment. i.e.- the seabeds and habitats, and the effect on the bottlenose dolphin population for which the Bay is justly famous (and the porpoise too I imagine). These cetaceans are sensitive to undersea noise and may be stressed and disturbed by these operations which may affect their feeding and reproductive behaviour. The Bay's bottlenose dolphins are a major tourist attraction. I have personally taken people out on Steve Hartley's boat and with other operators from New Quay to see the dolphins, so as a tour operator I have concerns about what effect the dredging has on the marine habitat and 'Tourism'.
So why should I bring this issue up on a birding blog? Well as you all know there is a major sea-bird colony on New Quay Head and smaller ones stretching down the coast. They feed on fish which feed on zoo-plankton. Higher up the food chain of course are the dolphins, porpoise and seals which feed generally on fish and then there is us 'Homo Sapiens'. These dredgers stir up the sediments on the seabed which may have lain undisturbed for decades accumulating over time the products of past industrial and more recent agricultural practices. These 'probably' contain traces of agro-chemicals and lead and other toxic metallic elements washed down from the land in rivers and streams. So it is likely that the whole food chain is affected by the dredging.
The W.A.G. (Welsh Assembly Government) could put a stop to these operations or at least impose limitations on the number of licences issued and restrictions placed on the areas open for scallop dredging. If enough (local) people objected and put pressure on them and the fishery regulatory bodies to act then they may indeed take the course of action necessary to impose some sort of control on these operations.
This is where you can help by writing a letter voicing your concerns to the respective W.A.G. ministers. They are :-
Jane Davidson (AM), Minister for Environment, Sustainability & Housing,
National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff. CF99 1NA
Elin Jones (AM), Minister for Rural Affairs,
National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff. CF99 1NA
I know that Jane Davidson is particularly sensitive to marine issues following the excellent work conducted by Cliff Benson of 'Sea-Trust', the marine section of the South & West Wales Wildlife Trust. Miss Davidson has been very much 'hands on' having been present on boat surveys conducted by 'Sea-Trust' in the waters off Pembrokeshire in 2008.
There are a number of local organisations which are conducting a campaign against the dredging operations. They are Steve Hartley of the 'Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre' in New Quay, The 'Save Our Seas' (S.O.S.) local group, and 'Friends Of Cardigan Bay'. Please contact these organisations if you wish to show your solidarity towards their cause or help in some way.