Council 'fed up waiting' for new rules to stop criminal cockling gangs
Efforts could be stepped up to prevent criminal gangs from cockle picking on the River Teign and Exe Estuaries and damaging the eco systems.
Last updated 6th Oct 2021
A Devon council is taking action to to prevent large scale cockle picking on the Exe and Teign estuaries - after getting frustrated with delays from the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.
The authority are due to meet later this month to discuss calls for a new regional bye law, but ahead of that Teignbridge District Council have voted to see if it can create their own.
Under the Magna Carta people are allowed to collect small amounts of shellfish for personal use but Teignbridge Councillors are worried plans for a bye-law to prevent mass collections appear to have stalled.
Last month a multi-agency operation took place on the River Teign to try to catch those responsible.
Teignbridge Council Leader Alan Connett this week raised concerns that they've had reports of 'large amounts of shellfish being taken' but the lack of bye law power means 'it's difficult to challenge them' and officials are 'not being seen to do anything about it'.
The Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (D&S IFCA) had hoped to establish a new bye-law by this Autumn.
The latest Teignbridge council meeting heard work has been delayed by IFCA due to 'resourcing and staff constraints' - with the group due to meet later this month and discuss the concerns on the 21st.
A council report says 'The Hand Gathering Byelaw was envisaged to cover a multitude of target species and activities, potentially including, clams, cockles, mussels and oysters alongside bait digging, crab tiling and lobster hooking.
"The byelaw was also expected to be capable of applying in all suitable inter-tidal areas of the D&S IFCA area which covers both coasts of the county of Devon, as well as areas in Somerset and Gloucestershire."
A report to Teignbridge Council says 'legally there currently remains no legally enforceable limit to the amount of shellfish, particularly cockles, together with mussels and oysters (those not in regulated or several fisheries areas), that can be collected by a member of the public'.
But it adds: "There is a pragmatic working assumption that collecting up to a maximum of 5kg (approximately a bucket full) could be considered as appropriate for ‘personal consumption’ and that volumes above this figure raise concerns about whether this is being undertaken as part of a commercial activity or that unregulated/untested stock is entering the wider food chain."
The IFCA manages 22 conservation areas, with a total combined area the size of Dartmoor. It has 24 members of staff in the Devon and Somerset area, but double that in other parts of the area they cover.