King scallop fishing to be restricted

Tue, 11 Oct 2016

King scallops (picture from Island Shellfish)

New restrictions to prevent the overfishing of king scallops in the Isle of Man's waters will come in from next month.

From November 1st the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture will issue fewer licenses to fish for the scallops in the Island's waters.

Over 4,500 tonnes of king scallops were landed by fishermen in the Island over the last year with a value of £4m, but DEFA is concerned this is putting the stock under pressure.

More than 80 people responded to a consultation over the future of king scallop fishing in the Island, with the majority of responses calling for fewer licences.

The Department will use a vessel's fishing record and size into account when deciding who is eligible for a licence.