THE fight to control fishing up to 12 miles from shore must continue. ‘We must not rest until we have the seas around us under our control. There is a paramount need to conserve the resource for present and future generations of local people,’ said Environment minister David De Lisle.
The department is concerned at the impact of the Privy Council judicial committee’s decision that Guernsey cannot stop Jersey and UK vessels from fishing there.
A particular worry is massive UK vessels sweeping up stocks.
‘We have to focus our arguments around the environmental damage that threatens the long-term sustainability of our fishery resource. Guernsey’s claims to its offshore must be affirmed and protected,’ said Deputy De Lisle.
UK vessels under 17 metres already have a right to fish within the limit, minimum sizes are applied and stocks are managed across the whole area, but the department feels that allowing larger vessels to fish there can only put an extra burden on an already fragile ecosystem.
The landmark ruling has been reported in the UK’s largest selling specialist newspaper, Fishing News, under the headline ‘Guernsey can’t control fishing out to 12 miles - historic ruling by top UK court.’
It highlighted the four-year dispute, which it said started when the States decided to unilaterally impose licensing restrictions within its 12-mile limits.
Andrew Oliver, of Hull solicitors Andrew M. Jackson, who represented English vessel owners in the appeal, said he was delighted at the outcome and that it vindicated the decision taken by his clients to challenge Guernsey’s actions.
‘The only way in which that area can be regulated is by the British Government who, unlike Guernsey, must take into account historic English fishing rights when implementing any possible future restrictions,’ he said.
The paper, which has a weekly circulation of 8,500, also quoted the concerns of Guernsey Fishermen’s Association vice-president Willie Falla and contained comments from Jersey Fishermen’s Association spokesman Mike Taylor.
Yesterday, the paper’s editor, Tim Oliver, told the Guernsey Press that he imagined people would be taking legal advice about whether it was worth pursuing compensation claims against Guernsey.
‘There was a similar situation in the Isle of Man within the last year where they wanted to extend their limit to 12 miles and they couldn’t.’
‘It’s a reflection of the general problem of increasing effort in inshore waters as technology advances and it does raise concerns about sustainability of stocks. All the inshore fishermen want to protect their own stocks,’ he said.
He did not believe there would be any more fishing than there is already around the island.
Article posted on 12th May, 2007 - 12.00am
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