Scallop Dredging Footage

The effects of scallop dredging on the seabed taken by Dr Jason Hall-Spencer of the University of Plymouth

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Scallop
• dredging
• dredge
• damage
• marine
• environment
• fisheries
• angling
• clam
• drag
• dragging

[Appleby1970]

Look up Bryce beukers-stewart's details on the York Uni environment department website there's some useful papers there, and failing that give him a bell.



[Appleby1970]

Wait a sec, I didn't commission this - I just tried to and got stonewalled so ended up putting up the best I could find. But really do you think if the researchers filmed it slower and actually had bags on the back of the dredge it would make that much difference? It may have been marginally less destructive, but that's not what the divers tell us. The gauntlet is still down for you to provide some better footage though, otherwise I'll just have to use this stuff and apply common sense.

[sraideoin1]

@Appleby1970 Hey hows it going i'm an irish scienctist working on trying to make managable scallop stocks in co kerry in ireland, What is ure take on dredging, I have heard many opinions favourite ones are that the scallop dredge gets rid of the weed and another that it ruins the habitat in which they live. What is ure opinion on this? What do u think the dredge has on the young spat that is formed within those groups of scallops? Regards James

[Appleby1970]

@sraideoin1 The only studies I know of the UK are in Port Erin on the Isle of Mann, and a recent one in the Lamlash Bay no take zone on the Isle of Arran. I believe both these indicate that closed areas are good for spat, which indicates unsurprisingly that dredging is harmful. The Manx have just introduced a whole raft of management measures based on area restrictions for spat protection. The people to contact are Bryce Beukers-Stewart at York Uni, and the Isle of Mann fisheries team.

[Vickybookgirl]

If you were to ban trawling (of all types), you would take away 1/4 of the worlds fish production. To replace this protein you would need to cut down the world's rainforest 5 times over for the farms you would need. Even though there is an environmental impact and an effect on biodiversity, fishing is the best way to produce food, not the worst. Even organic farming has an environmental impact (it once was rainforest). Where you live, work, play etc has an environmental impact.

[Appleby1970]

@Vickybookgirl Not many people are really talking about banning all types of fishing, you can't lump all fishing methods together, because some are sustainable and some aren't. Life's just not that simple. It's about stopping the daft stuff, and encouraging the good stuff. Everybody in the industry really knows which are the worst fisheries, but you can't expect them to voluntarily stop what they are doing when they are making money. Fishermen (with a few biblical exceptions) aren't saints.

[sraideoin1]

@Appleby1970 where would i have to go to get this litrature has it been published on science direct or one of those. This is part of my masters i am working with a coop in valentia and it would be nice to show the fishermen some actual hard evidence they might stop and start diving for them. and selectively harvest them rather then plough a hole. Thanks for the heads up!!! regards J

[sraideoin1]

@Appleby1970 hows it going dude, i'm a sceintest working on managable scallop fishery in Valentia co Kerry in ireland i understand the damage that dredging does to the has to the habitat. I know that somepeople say if u dont dredge it u'll end up with weeds and some people say if u do u damage the habitat in which the scallops live. Just wondering do u know the damage it does to the future spat It seems that the stocks are reducing everywhere since the invention of this type of effort.

[sraideoin1]

@Appleby1970 hows it going dude, i'm a sceintest working on managable scallop fishery in Valentia co Kerry in ireland i understand the damage that dredging does to the has to the habitat. I know that somepeople say if u dont dredge it u'll end up with weeds and some people say if u do u damage the habitat in which the scallops live. Just wondering do u know the damage it does to the future spat It seems that the stocks are reducing everywhere since the invention of this type of effort.Regards

[SittingMooseShaman]

@Appleby1970...what a hack set-up! This piece-of-shit production AND this scrap-yard hunk of junk is YOUR purchase for to bring this 'scripted' pile of steaming pig-shit of having some hack drive the boat while you film your junk-yard purchase through the seabed. Then to present it as though this is a 'documentary.' Bah! Fraudumentary! You are as pretentious and condescending as Marie was! Her fate to you!

To you and ilk... only the pike!

[Appleby1970]

Interesting one this SpencerF, what do you do? How long has your family been dredging? and have you noticed a more general decline of stock? My view from the Clyde is fairly jaundiced - but I am more than happy to accept that there are well managed and sustainable fisheries out there.

[Appleby1970]

@SittingMooseShaman I think we all will all die of starvation if we try and live exclusively on luxury foods like scallops. Queen Marie-Antionnette said let them eat cake to a load of starving people - and it didn't do much good to her either!

[Appleby1970]

@ConvairDart106 - as you say the problem is we do not all live in Alaska, which has an exceptionally well managed fishery. You should see the Clyde - where people can and have dredged everywhere, and the result has been catastrophic. This used to be Europe's finest fishery and now there are no commercial whitefish left. As for fines that would be interesting, the only thing they are going after are people electric fishing for razors (which is harmless), the whole thing is an embarassment.

[Appleby1970]

Thanks gvmout, I agree that better footage is needed, but here is a strange thing, whenever we have lined up divers and camera gear to look at a working dredge in action the fisherman who has agreed initially has mysteriously withdrawn their consent, have you any idea why this might be? Sadly this is the best footage I can find. Having said that I have sneaking suspicion that however you film it, it will still look pretty awful but be my guest to link to some great footage a careful dredge.

[gvmout]

THAT IS THE WORST SCALLOP HARVESTER I HAVE EVER SEEN U REELY HAVE NO IDEA DO U U NEED TO LOOK AND SEE HOW IT IS DONE ELS-WEAR

[gvmout]

THAT IS THE WORST SCALLOP HARVESTER I HAVE EVER SEEN U REALY HAVE NO IDEA DO U

[ConvairDart106]

If you landlubbers really want to reduce fishing and farming, then stop fucking!! You are fucking us into extinction! The fact is that if there werent so many people to feed, there would not be such a demand for protein! We have 3,000 little boats fishing salmon in Bristol Bay alone! A dozen or so trawlers could catch them all and save a hell of a lot in diesel and airfare. And, the nets would never even touch bottom! Ever hear of midwater trawling? Trawling goes back to the days of sail!

[ConvairDart106]

Hey dumbshits who build or buy houses on prime farmland! You are not bitching at a farmer for turning his soil over or digging in his dirt! Or displacing all the living things that once thrived there just to provide you with some pretty tulips!! 5/8's of the planet is covered with water. We are not (at least in Alaska) allowed to fish anywhere we want. We are given huge fines if we deviate from our designated area. Trawling is the most efficient method of harvesting and feeding the entire world.

[SittingMooseShaman]

... this "footage" deserves just that: A kick in the ass!

It's all shit... Punkass bitches- DIE of starvation shitheads!

[SpencerF122]

Also. The person running the boat in the video for this converstion here, he was running his boat too fast, ideal speed 1.7-2.2knots, he was going atleast 3.2knot.

[SpencerF122]

As a third generation commercial lobster, and scallop fisherman, I want to let you know that some of us do care, and try to preserve the areas we fish. To even suggest that they close a commercial fishery for 5 years is not only rediculious, bu plain right stupid. Many of the people who fish, have done so their whoe life, know nothing else but fishing. to suggest that we stop for 5 years would kill us. Dead. If you really want to be upset with someone for the oceans, talk to the oil companies.

[antipike]

Ban all commercial fishing for 5 years and let the oceans recover ..... then and only then allow them to operate with restraint .... Commercial fishermen have only themselves to blame for raping the oceans

[Appleby1970]

Going into very dangerous territory here @Vickybookgirl; the same criticism you could be levelled at you with your reliance on Ray Hilborn's paper. We all do the best we can with the information available, what's indisputable is that there are no commercial fish stocks left in the Clyde and you're other explanations just aren't very plausible when you can see bottom trawlers hammering the seabed out of the window.

[Appleby1970]

@Vickybookgirl No I am not using Callum Roberts' paper, though I've read it but years of research through published and unpublished papers, and looking at Clyde fisheries management and applying common sense. We can trade scientific papers as long as you like and then attack the scientists themselves when they don't say what we want them to, but it wont bring back the fish. It doesn't take much science to conclude that widespread dredging is harmful to benthic life. You're onto a loser there.

[Vickybookgirl]

@stephenmorris31 Masses of research is compiling other peoples opinions and calling it fact. Scientists these days often are biased towards their employers. It is often hard to find the truth unless you have some first hand knowledge. People really need to see both sides of the situation before making up their mind. Do you just make comments for comment sake or do you have an opinion on this posting?