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South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee Date: 23 April 2001 Queens Buildings, Cambrian Place, SWANSEA. SA1 1TW Contact: Phil Coates and Mark Stafford SOUTH
WALES SEA FISHERIES FUNDING ISSUES - BURRY INLET RESTRICTIONS 1: Following a meeting with representatives of City & County of Swansea on Friday, the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee have agreed to postpone the introduction of further restrictive cost saving measures that limited the freedom of cockle licence holders in the Regulated Burry Inlet Cockle Fishery. The matter will be subject to further industry review. Council representatives have agreed further discussions with Constituent funding authorities to consider delivery options as a result of the recent c 30% reduction to the SWSFC Funding in real terms over recent years. 2: Cockle licence holders have been requested to provide further responses to the Committee’s August consultation document on means of reducing the management burden upon the SWSFC who are the Regulators of the Fishery. The matter will be discussed at the annual industry/Committee liaison meeting which will take place soon. 3: Speaking for the Committee its Director Phil Coates said “We greatly welcome any initiative by local authorities to discuss service delivery options provided by the Committee. The Committee has for a number of years warned local authorities of the effects of cutbacks on a whole range of important services provided by the SWSFC which affect a large number of people. The licenced Burry Inlet Cockle fishery is but one important component, however continued funding at currently reduced levels would require all areas of services to be again revisited and widespread cuts to be implemented.” NOTE
FOR EDITORS: 1: The SWSFC is the grantee of the Burry Inlet Cockle Fishery via an Order made in 1965. It yielded c 7135 tonnes of cockles in 2000 - the second largest fishery of its type in the UK last year, and largest employer of people. Fifty five licences were issued along with further temporary and area specific licences. A waiting list of nearly 200 people exists for licences. The Committee’s management is widely acknowledged to be class leading. 2: The National Assembly of Wales recently made a funding Order at the request of Constituent funding authorities. This set a cap of £354,000 again the Committee’s decision to levy £396,000, itself a compromise on the £480,000 had funding been stable over recent years. The funding changes have been occasioned by local government reorganisation in 1996 and the need to establish a more equitable funding formula between Constituent authorities. Discussions have only recently been concluded with the above outcome. The Committee has not ruled out a legal challenge of the decision by NAW. 3: SWSFC has consistently stated over the years, that cutbacks to funding, now implemented, will impact upon service delivery over a whole range of functions. 4: The SWSFC manages fisheries and the marine environment between Cardiff and Cardigan to some 20 miles or more offshore in places. It has shore and vessel based Fishery Officers who exercise limited powers of a constable in enforcing local byelaws, plus National and European fisheries legislation. Its duties have been extended since 1992 to ensuring effective conservation of the marine environment. At the same time, resources made available to it have significantly declined. 5: The type of fisheries managed range from cockles, mussels, whelks, winkles, oysters to crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, crawfish), and also fin fish such as bass, rays. The management of inshore fisheries is increasingly seen as important in meeting European and UK conservation requirements. The annual first sale value of local fisheries is c £5.5 - £7 million per year, up to £20 million when processed. A range of recreational other coastal users also gain benefit from the Committees work, all of which is currently funded by local authorities.
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