P-05-778 Protect the Razor Clams on Llanfairfechan Beach
P-05-778 Protect the Razor Clams on Llanfairfechan Beach
This
petition was submitted by Vanessa L Dye, having collected 225 signatures online
and 234 on paper – a total of 459 signatures.
Petition text:
We call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge
the Welsh Government to:
- commission a research study to ascertain the state of the health of
the razor clam beds and their viability as a long term natural resource,
and put in place a moratorium for fishing of razor clams until the
research can report its findings;
- ratify a ‘closed’ season for the harvesting of razor clams aligned
to the spawning season i.e. May to September;
- draw up regulations in addition to the minimum landing size of 10cm
to include set quotas that individuals are allowed to take; and
- bring forward legislation and regulations to protect the razor clams
on Llanfairfechan beach.
"The mass harvesting of razor clams on
Llanfairfechan beach has been a matter of concern for many residents and
conservationists for a number of years." (Ref: letter to Cabinet Secretary
Lesley Griffiths AM from Janet Finch Saunders AM 28th July 2017.
Currently the only regulatory control on razor clams
is that they must have a legal minimum landing size of 10cm, and there are
checks relating to the control of clams ending in the food chain. Many
residents are concerned
about the apparent lack of procedures and/or
regulations governing the taking of razor clams particularly in respect of
designating a 'closed' season during spawning, quotas allowed, and the need for
research evidence to be conducted on the razor clams to ascertain the impact on
the local environment and ecosystem.
Since 2013 it has been noted by several sources that
razor clams are being harvested in great numbers from Llanfairfechan beach.
Evidence to support this claim has been documented on numerous occasions on
social media. A recent request on the Llanfairfechan Noticeboard for any
pictures or video footage of those gathering the razor clams clearly shows that
there are large numbers of people involved in this activity. The gathering of
the razor clams generally takes place after a high tide.
Additional
information:
Just to provide some historic background about this
issue. In 2013 the harvesting activity was brought to light by the Weekly News
newspaper by Tom Davidson when it was noted that there was “A gang of more than
100 people harvesting huge amounts of razor clams…..” There were also concerns
that illegal workers were being exploited and that the clams were being fished
for commercial purposes. At the time, one resident said “they had seen similar
scenes involving an increasing number of gatherers over the last few weeks.
Residents are angry at the sheer number of harvesters with fears the local
habitat could be damaged irreparably, with hundreds of clams taken off the
beach regularly.” Whilst fears about the gatherers being used as part of modern
slavery and the shellfish ending up in the food chain have been allayed by the ongoing
efforts of the police and Food Standards Agency. The environmental consequences
of this sustained and systematic removal of razor clams remains a major issue,
which may impact on the other marine and bird life within the area, along with
causing possible changes in the density of sand on the beach. There are some
fears regarding the sand being unstable in places and people unfamiliar with
the beach could easily get into difficulties e.g. some gatherers harvest the
clams some distance away from the safety of the land. It has been quite
disempowering and frustrating for ordinary citizens to watch the pillaging of
an environmental resource and question why organisations who's remit is to
protect the environment appear to be hamstrung because of the lack of
appropriate procedures/laws. This is surprising given that Llanfairfechan beach
is designated as a Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area
(SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). 2013. Surely there must be
regulations within these bodies of knowledge to tap into as a source to protect
this imbalance in such an ecosystem?
Status
This
petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 09/06/2020.
In
light of the continuing closure of the razor clam beds at Llanfairfechan, the
research being carried out on behalf of the Welsh Government and the Minister
for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs’ commitment that consideration will
be given to daily quotas, total allowable catch and closed periods,
the Committee agreed that there is little further that could be achieved at
this time and to close the petition.
Full details of the
consideration of this petitions by the committee and related documents can be
seen on the Meetings tab above.
It was first
considered by the Petitions Committee on 03/10/2017.
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Business type: Petition
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
Status: Complete
First published: 18/09/2017