Fishermen to sue Scots vessels over damage by scallop boats

Trouble flared earlier this month when industrial-sized scalloping boats moved south to the Holderness coast, a prime shellfishing area scattered with 60,000 crab and lobster pots.

The fishermen from Bridlington negotiated a 43-square-mile area for the scallopers to work in, but talks stalled when the Scottish company involved, TN Trawlers, demanded another 144-square-mile area.

An armada of boats eventually had to leave Bridlington Harbour to back up one of their fleet, the Tradition, skippered by John Stephenson, which had mounted guard in the area.

The Scottish vessels left, but the Bridlington fleet is still counting the cost of damage caused by the far heavier boats towing away their pots on April 18. So far around 118 pots are known to have been lost, worth around 70 each, as well as tows and anchors.

The Bridlington shellfish fleet has now instructed the Hull-based Andrew Jackson solicitors to mount a civil claim for damages.

Solicitors are sifting through evidence, including transcripts of conversations with the coastguard and charts to establish exactly where the vessels were.

Bridlington fishing boat owner Gary Hodgson, who co-owns a processing plant as well as being chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations Shellfish Committee, said until recently they had co-existed peacefully with the dredgers.

He said: "They started off with four miles, then they went to 30 miles and then they were working north of the agreed box.

"If Tradition hadn't been there, the consequences could have been far worse.

"For them they are new grounds, but some Bridlington fishermen have been working there for more than 40 years.

"Within two days of having the full 43-square-mile area clear they asked for a further 144 square miles, more to the south, which we believe are the lobsters' nursery grounds.

"The Bridlington fishermen believed this was unacceptable."

Skipper Gary Lee, of the Christel Star, lost 42 pots.

He said: "It is pretty obvious that scalloping has a detrimental effect when you look at other areas they have started closing (to scalloping) like Lyme and Cardigan Bay."

Solicitor Andrew Oliver, a partner at Andrew Jacksons, said: "At the present time we are gathering evidence from various sources to mount a civil claim for the loss of fishing gear as a result of the actions of scallopers.

"Both parties are entitled to be there, but the scallopers are under a duty to keep clear of their static gear."

Mr Oliver said their had been attempts on both sides to negotiate.

He added: "It is unfortunate that on that particular day they didn't want to talk and it seems quite clear they have trawled through a considerable amount of gear."

A letter of claim would be sent to the company, but if matters weren't resolved they would have to go to court.

For the last two decades now shellfishing has been the main source of income for fishermen on the Holderness coast. There are around 40 boats operating out of Bridlington and three landing companies in the port.

Unlike fishing with pots, scallop dredging is seen as being one of the most destructive methods of fishing.

The vessels "plough" the sea bed with two heavy steel beams, which dig into the seabed to flip the scallop out of the silt, but in doing so destroy other marine life, including crabs and lobsters.

No one was available for comment from TN Trawlers.