GAP2 workshop builds dialogue between French & UK Channel scallop fishers in Brixham, Devon. 15-16 April 2014.

[17th April] This week, over 60 participants from both France and the UK attended a two-day workshop in Devon to develop relationships within the Channel Scallop fishery; Britain’s most valuable non-quota fishery, previously blighted by 2012’s ‘scallop wars’ between French and UK fishermen.

Organised by the GAP2 project (an international EC funded research project), attendees, including fishers, fishers’ organisations, scientists, NGOs and Government representatives, took part in fisher-led discussions on the first steps towards developing a sustainable, regional and collaborative management plan.

Agreements between French and English delegations were wide-ranging (see below), but were particularly heart-felt when it came to the need for more science and a bottom-up approach, led by industry.

“We have heard from scientists in the UK and in France – they are frustrated due to lack of resources from Government departments. We in the industry have said “we’ve got the platforms, come out on our boats and gather the data – teach us to become gatherers of data”. Fishermen are willing to do that, but they need to be guided which takes time and resources…but it can happen, and I think it should happen, and I hope it does happen” Jim Portus, Chief Exec, South Western Fish Producer Organisation


What was agreed?

Mixed working groups were established, each with a focus on a different ‘topic’ in relation to the fishery – for example: management, science, marketing, communication – to develop consensus points, forming a framework for future collaboration:

It was agreed that:

-Improved data is vital to the long-term, sustainable future for the fishery. Currently stock and capacity data is poor, which would act as a barrier to developing a coherent regional management plan in the future.
-Fishers would welcome the opportunity to support scientific studies directed towards a full scallop stock assessment. Greater resources should be directed towards this kind of participatory scientific research.
-A full capacity assessment of scallop boats operating in the Channel should be undertaken.
-Particular attention should be paid to ICES area VIId, including the harmonisation of technical measures. This will require further discussion to reach consensus.
-All measures must be driven, bottom-up, by industry. Whilst this is already broadly the case in France, in the UK greater emphasis should be placed on fishers’ potential contribution to management planning and decisions.
-The establishment of a dedicated working group, with a specific focus on the Channel scallop fishery, would be beneficial to moving forward with agreed suggestions – potentially facilitated through the NWWAC’s current Channel working group.