Shellfish bylaws possible for Exe and Teign

People collecting too many

Teignbridge councillors have backed plans that would introduce a law limiting the amount of shellfish that can be collected from the Teign and Exe Estuaries.

There has been an increase in the number of people collecting shellfish and concerns have been raised that groups of people are harvesting for onward sale into the wider food chain which could cause serious illness.

Illegally sold shellfish may not be subject to such checks and so can put people’s health at risk from a range of infections such as sickness and diarrhoea, respiratory paralysis, kidney failure, amnesia and even death.

But Teignbridge District Council’s executive heard that while there was a  pragmatic working assumption that collecting up to 5kg was considered as appropriate for personal consumption, there is currently no legally enforceable limit.

They unanimously agreed to support the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority in efforts to manage the shellfisheries in the Teign and Exe Estuaries in the process of establishing a 'Hand Gathering Byelaw' for the area.

Cllr Jackie Hook, executive member for climate change, coastal protection, and flooding, said: “The problem is there is no legally enforceable limit that can be collected. It is taken to be around 5kg, a bucketful, that is appropriate for personal consumption, and anything above this can raise concerns of it being part of a commercial operation.

“One of the main issues is that level of activity and volume appears to be above what is personal consumption and is circumventing normal control mechanisms and then entering the wider food chain.”

Cllr Alan Connett, leader of the council, said that at present, the D&SIFCA are hamstrung by the fact there is no law and nothing to describe personal use and the test of the reasonable person, saying ‘your reasonableness and mine may be very far apart’. He added: “We need to get this bylaw quickly and they are saying that with a fair wind they can achieve by the end of 2021, but we need to encourage them and government to make sure this is fast tracked.”

Cllr Alistair Dewhirst, executive member for environmental service, added, that while they don’t want to stop people from collecting shellfish as they have for millennia, the commercial operation need to be stopped from destroying the ecology of what we have and leaving none for anyone or future generations.

He added: “This is a major issue and people see large quantities of shellfish being taken, and even just walking on them can damage the fish stocks. Officers have worked tirelessly, being called out by members of the public, who are seeing picking of amounts of shellfish that cannot be for plan domestic consumption and a family meal.

“I will support this fully and I know the community is behind this. Clearly people have been taken shellfish for millennia and we don’t want to stop families enjoying the shellfish, but we don’t want commercial operators to be destroying the ecology of what we have got and leaving none for anyone or future generations.”

The committee is agreed to note that concerns have been raised by the public regarding the position of shellfish collection on the Teign and Exe Estuaries and to offer support where appropriate or practicable to the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority in the management of this issue, including a byelaw that would place limits on the amount that can be collected.