"Collecting a few shellfish for home consumption is a traditional activity and causes little overall disruption to the Lough's ecological balance. People may be seen raking the muddy sand at Kircubbin when the tide goes out, to collect edible cockles. Common winkles (whillicks) are also gathered extensively from rocky shores, while common mussels are collected on a fairly small scale.
However, in recent years there has been increasing interest in collecting shellfish on a commercial basis and this has led to fears for the environment and for the future of small scale traditional activity.
SLMC have played an important role in addressing this issue and determining the best way forward. The Committee has provided a forum for lengthy discussions involving fishing interests, local councils, conservation bodies, government departments and others. It has also produced concise factual information on the issue, which has been widely used by other organisations. The Committee made verbal and written representation to the NI Assembly's Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development in October 2000, supporting proposed changes to the Fisheries Legislation in order to regulate commercial shellfish collection in the intertidal area.
In particular the Committee has gathered information on the implications of commercial cockle harvesting, some of this may also apply to the harvesting of other species.
Commercial cockle harvesting
It would appear that the commercial extraction of cockles can cause environmental damage but the extent depends on a wide range of factors including the equipment used, the timing and frequency of harvest, sediment composition and weather conditions (particularly winter temperatures).
Examples from elsewhere show that overfishing can lead to the collapse of the fisheries and cause adverse effects on wildlife. The main issues surrounding commercial cockle collecting are as follows:
