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SSMO - Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation


Baron Redsain
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I didn't suggest getting rid of the SSMO. I only said they were out of control.I also suspect its the biggest percentage of fishermen ( who are fortunate enough to have a licence) want the SSMO. Im all right jack and sod the rest.!  I however am inclined to agree with Ronnie Young  that all we really need is a 6 mile limit to keep the big scallopers out. And not all this MSC inspired expensive un policeable regulations. There are more creels round Yell now than there were round the whole of Shetland before all these  licences were introduced.. There are also hundreds if not thousands of creels being fished quite legaly by people with unregistered boats and no licences at all.And good on them as far as im concerned. If that's not already a free for all then I don't know what is.The SSMO has not saved one crab or lobster since it was created.  We survived for hundreds of years without the SSMO and Orkney seems to doing OK with its market forces based fishery.  Im sure we would again aswell.!

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I am surprised that anyone is allowed to "harrow" for scallops at all,considering the amount of damage that is being caused to the sea bed. 

 

There must be a better way.

I believe (but I may be wrong) that generally scallop dredging takes place on sandy/gravelly bits of seabed as this is the scallop's natural habitat. How much damage is really being done by stirring up some sand? 

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whalsa,apparently tremendous damage is being caused. Plenty of info to be googled. 

 

This is such an important fishery that alternative methods should and probably are being explored,as to continue as it is,is not really an option. 

 

Certainly would not be allowed on the Great Barrier Reef,but our shores are probably not supporting anything as exotic as that never the less shame for our local sea beds to be destroyed.

 

But folk have to make a living.

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whalsa,apparently tremendous damage is being caused. Plenty of info to be googled. 

 

This is such an important fishery that alternative methods should and probably are being explored,as to continue as it is,is not really an option. 

 

Certainly would not be allowed on the Great Barrier Reef,but our shores are probably not supporting anything as exotic as that never the less shame for our local sea beds to be destroyed.

 

But folk have to make a living.

I used ta believe that same as you but having watched scallop dreg boats covering the same ground time after time and still catching scallops my mind has been changed by observed evidence. And having set off with the sma boat and fished a few days before and after where a scallop boat was working I can honestly say the fishing was better after. The biggest threat to our inshore fishery is seals. Thankfully the Orcas have been around and cleared them out but unfortunately they're not around near enough.

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People have to eat aswell urabug. Shetlands scallop grounds have been fished for the last 40 odd years and are still providing a living for hundreds of people in these isles. So the boats cant be doing that much harm. Its also the only MSC accredited scallop fishery in Britain I think. Even Hugh ferringlee halfwitingstall recommends Shetland scallops. I read somewhere that they banned scallopers from Cardigan bay a few years ago and now the scallops are 6 deep and suffocating each other .The scientists are recommending a limited fishery again but some nutter from Leeds university and the Guardian news paper are opposing it. Probably because they believe everything the see on google.

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Well said blue beetle, DAMISSINLINK  has not got a clue,he must be land lubber that knows nothing about fishing,the only fishermen wanting the ssmo is the part timer cos what they make clear of there full time job is a bonus. Please tell us how they police the fishery and can tell the

fisherman don't have any more than 600 creels in the water with no more than 240 on the velvets.

  The full time men are trying to make a living by being dictated to by (ssmo committee) 2 ex fishermen who throo in the towel and went ashore,a couple of councillors (who have said to be dismayed with some of there decisions) a shellfish buyer whos needing more shellfish to fullfill

his orders and a mixture of full/part time fishermen. If its such a roaring success why are they no

orders like it Scotland,as for Orkney they had a vote and voted against it and are setting up there

own  IFMO (inshore fisherys management organisation),theres far more full time inshore men in

Orkney and a dammed sight more creels

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I know someone who was in the scallop processing for years who eventually had to leave and get another job as the size and irregularity of supply made it impossibie to guarantee a wage due to the fact he was on piece work.

 

Good big scallops were good as they were able to get a decent weight and therefore make a respectable wage,but this was becomeing very infrequent and was mainly blamed to overfishing. 

 

The size of scallops probably has little to do with quality,(?) but will certainly affect quantity.

 

From this I can only deduce that some form of control is absolutely essencial so as to protect all those involved in the fishing industry,fishermen,processors and consumers, and that includes all types of fishing.

 

Every Tom,Dick,and Harry cannot be allowed to fish,there has to be some organisation or it will be depleted

 

Competition is good in any industry but over competition will ruin it for everyone.  

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most folk that am heard and have spoken to that are annoyed about the ssmo is part timers that are wanting to work a few creels when they are aff shift! how many folk is wantin tae go to da scallops or the crabs full time,

its just my opinon, but i feel shetland would be worse off we a free for all.

you canna really compare this to orkney as they have there own factorys to work up crab, what does shetland have a hot head that complains aboot the ssmo and he isna getting enough crab for his truck and annoys everybody that lands to him!!

if the meeting at tingwall was such a success why is the ssmo commitee still in place, i think maybe the nae sayers maybe have'nt looked into the legal side of everything!!

brown crab price and market is poor because of the likes of orkney with there big fleet of crabs boats floading the market with crabs, and you here of cold stores being fool all the time,  but as a land lubber i widna ken aboot dat,

the ssmo has a lot of work to do to make the regulating order everything it can and should be but it is making progress, in my opinon, cheers and good fishing :thmbsup

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I keep hearing the words "free for all" I prefer "Fair for All"

 

As bluebeetle says the shelfish industry managed itself for years without the ssmo.

The ssmo was as I understand it, introduced to keep large shellfish vessels outside of "our" Shetland waters,

to protect it from being seriously overfished by "outsiders" 

so, it was managing fine as it was at that time, people came and went into the industry as and when it suited their needs, 

over the years the number of permits issued has been reduced by how many?

is it the case that as time has gone on there are now fewer boats but far more gear? this equals the same effort?

added to that you have a few people working creels anyhow because they can't get a permit?

would it not be better to issue people permits so you know what exactly is being caught?

the ones working 100's of creels could reduce the number to let others get a fair bite of the pie?

they are only working part-time after all...

 

I am also lead to understand that at the time it was introduced it was said that NO Shetland person would EVER be refused a permit????

 

damissing link asks "how many folk is wantin tae go to da scallops or the crabs full time"?

That is a very good question?

I know of 1 person who wrote to the ssmo explaining that they were to be made redundant and therfore would require a permit to enable them to

go creel fishing to support their family, but were told no!! -

I think that is wrong.

Perhaps it should be that ONLY full-time shellfishing is allowed?

That is not my personal opinion, but maybe its worth discussion?

 

It was also said that ssmo permits would never have any value, in other words a person would not be able to sell one,

why would you need to after all, as NO Shetland person would ever be refused a permit!

 

The ssmo is supposed to be about protecting the industry for the future generations. it has been 16 years now since it was introduced,

yet we now have young people (the future of fishing) turning away from it as they have not a hope in hell of ever getting a permit?

So the future is here, yet its a closed door?

 

most people who have ssmo permits think its a great thing. of course they do!

the element of human greed will see to that, who in their right mind that has a permit, and is fishing 100's of creels with no other boats to bother them would want 2 or 3 other

 boats fishing in the area they are in... I bet they will even now be considering the areas they work in to be "their patch" not of course because they have a title deed to the area, but because of the human element of greed.

 

I admire the few ssmo permit holders who have the balls to come out and say that the ssmo needs to be scrapped or reformed!

 

the ssmo has created the situation we are now at, some want it scrapped some want it reformed some feel its making progress, I dont hear anyone say its perfect?

 

All the best, and here's to the future Fair for All !

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Shellfish don't grow like vegetables,it takes something like 4 years for a scallop to reach a decent size if I am right. Crabs grow a bit faster, would I be correct in saying 1½ years for some. Bearing in mind that it takes a long time for shellfish to grow surely manageing the sea bed and restricting fishing in certain areas for a time to allow these shellfish to reach a  marketable size without being desturbed would be a very senseable thing to do

 

Nobody wants regulations and restrictions in any buisness but sometimes it is necessary.

.

 

.

Edited by Urabug
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