A LOCAL fisherman has expressed anger at the local fishing authority’s decision to close cockle beds in Morecambe Bay.

Steve Manning, of the Morecambe Bay Fisheries Association says the local fishing authority is not doing enough to protect the livelihood of local fishermen.

A recent report by the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee stated that cockle stocks in The Bay were in danger with future harvests reliant on one-year-old shells and if these shells didn’t survive stocks are “likely to remain extremely low for many years to come.”

Mr Manning said the Committee must offer a solution to the problem - which has left dozens of fishermen out of work.

“This report says there are low stocks but it doesn’t say why,” said Mr Manning, who lives in Flookburgh. “In September 2007 we were told there was no danger whatsoever to the stocks, and yet here we are now, stuck here out of work. Something needs to be done.

The cockle beds in Morecambe Bay were closed in September in order for stocks to be replenished.

Steven Atkins, chief executive of the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee, said the low cockle stocks appeared to be due to a natural progression.

“Cockle stocks are very low in the Bay but it appears to be due to a natural progression, it doesn’t appear to be from fishing,” he said. “This year stocks have declined all over the place and we don’t have an explanation for that.

For the full story see The Westmorland Gazette.