News items
Electrofishing
There have been concerns that electrofishing for razorshells has been taking place in the Solway Firth. Electrofishing applies an electric current to the sea bed, causing the razorfish to ‘jump’ out of their protective seabed environment and so making them available for harvest by waiting boats. Whilst some consider electrofishing to be minimally invasive, highly specific and with little impact on neighbouring biota and habitats, it is currently illegal to use electrical stimuli for fishing in European Waters (Council Regulation (EC) 580/1998, article 31). Electrical currents used in excess can kill other marine life, and there are reports of dead fish floating on the water in areas where electrofishing has been carried out. Additionally, electrofishing may incapacitate non-target marine life making it vulnerable to predation. Of particular concerns is the effect of electrofishing in areas where there are populations of electrically sensitive fish such as sharks, skates and rays. And there are also considerable Health and Safety issues in areas where recreational water sports, such as SCUBA diving, are carried out. There is currently insufficient data to assess the environmental impact of razorfishing. Whilst it remains an illegal practice, any records or sightings of electrofishing for razor fish or any other species should be reported on the 'Report Suspicious Activity' facility on the Scottish Fisheries Protection website http://www.sfpa.gov.uk/suspicious.asp, or phoned in directly to 0845 270 3990. Both routes can be done anonymously.
Solway Firth Partnership Conference 2008
The 2007 Solway Firth Partnership Conference took place on Monday 1st October at the Garden House Hotel, Gretna. Details of the 2008 conference are not yet available but please contact us at sfp@solwayheritage.co.uk to be added to our database and we will inform you as soon as more information is available. The programme details will guarantee an interesting and varied selection of speakers on a range of topical marine and coastal issues.
New Edition of Tidelines
The latest edition of Tidelines available is Issue 29, June 2008. Download this, and the the previous issue, from our downloads page. Tidelines is the newsletter of the Solway Firth Partnership and is available free by post, or we can email it directly to you. To receive Tidelines please contact us at sfp@solwayheritage.co.uk and let us know how you would like to receive Tidelines (by post or electronically).
Green Blue's Annual Conference 2008
Tuesday 4th November 2008 at the SS great Britain, Bristol. The conference will feature specialist speakers from around the UK on a range of environmental issues which matter to you and your club or business. Key topics include setting up a recycling scheme, antifoul wash down facilities and volunteering, as well as launching a new Environmental Self Assessment Toolkit, a free online tool which helps you make sure you are the right side of the law! To register your interest or reserve a place contact; info@thegreenblue.org.uk or call 02380 604100.
