Unregulated Shellfish Harvesting

BY Paul Gilson South East NFFO spokesman.

Over many years I have been expressing my frustration at the lack of protection of the public and our shellfish industry from organised and unregulated shellfish harvesting. These pickers operate across the country where shellfish can be found, areas with mud flats or creeks a popular destination. Why am I so concerned? We need to go back in time.

A fisherman in the early 1700s, Joseph Outing, discovered by accident that oysters fattened very well at Southchurch, now part of Southend. Indeed, oyster cultivation is recorded as early as 1434 with rights granted to harvest and cultivate in the manor of Chalkwell. In 1864 oyster landings for the year were recorded as 704 tonnes.

In the late 1890s and early 1900s a typhoid outbreak in the growing town of Southend took place with many deaths recorded.

An inadequate sewage system was blamed; sewage was going directly into the sea. At this time the local native oyster fishery was believed to be the biggest in the country, apparently covering several miles of foreshore.

In1724 the beds were so big that a raid on the beds was organised by a Captain Evans, Mayor and MP for Queensborough in Kent.

The raid lasted up to 11 days with roughly 500 fishermen and 100 boats taking part. The claim was that the beds were on free ground, but the claim was found to be false and the raiders were fined. It is alleged it took 20 years to pay off the debt. It is recorded that 800 acres of ground were leased for oyster production – a very big fishery.

The beds where the cockles and oysters were being harvested were in the very same areas as the discharge pipes. These pipes and shellfish beds acted as primary transition points for the typhoid outbreak. All shellfish production was stopped on the foreshore, on the grounds of public safety.

The very same prolific oyster beds have naturally resettled over the last 20 years, not with natives but gigas.

According to Essex University they cover or extend for five miles from Leigh to Shoeburyness. The beds are vast, probably numbering billions of oysters. They are easily accessible from the shore, and this is where the problem begins.

What started as few pickers perhaps getting food for the family has grown into a full-time operation. Official figures show numbers of pickers increasing year on year, to 197 in July and 99 in August this year. I believe that these numbers underestimate the real figures – teams harvest at night and from many points along the foreshore. From my vantage point, I counted 68 over a six-day period.

The pickers have been shucking on site, putting the oyster meat into plastic buckets or bags, then into large shopping bags to be taken ashore, as the volume is so high the weight of the meats is too much for a picker to carry in one go.

They then take a couple of trips to the shore hiding the meat in bushes and even in public toilets close to the beach. Harvesting takes place day and night – they start work as the tide leaves the beach and continues until the tide returns. The shucking has been taking place throughout the hot weather this summer, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees plus.

The pickers have discovered while working on the oyster beds further beds of manila clams and on many occasions teams target both.

This brings me back to my concerns, as I can remember the devastation that our shellfish and finfish industry suffered 50 odd years ago when food poisoning was blamed on cockles.

Local processors had to modernise and improve hygiene levels. Checks are now made on a very regular basis and the factories are spotless. Our oyster industry has also very high standards of hygiene all monitored by their local health authority. Therefore, when you buy cockles or oysters they are certified as fit for human consumption. It is a costly, but a worthwhile operation.

The sale of finfish collapsed as the Thames was thought to be polluted, and with social media now dominating our lives the same would happen today but very much worse.

The Thames overall is in very good condition, but as was stated earlier, the sewage systems are often overloaded when we have heavy rain and sewage goes into the river. We are close to where we were 125 years ago – the sewer system cannot cope.

Let us now compare the legal regulated industry with what we are witnessing today.

• Oysters are opened so no depuration or re-laying takes place.
• There is no hygiene monitoring of pickers and storage is not hygienic, taking place in bushes and public toilets. There are eyewitness accounts of pickers defecating where they are working.
• There is no chilling of the meat.
• Clams are washed in paddling pools that are used by many children.
• Sales of oysters and clams from legitimate suppliers are being undermined. There are no records of where they are harvested or sold – they are untraceable.
• Existing storm drains create a threat of E-coli outbreaks.

What could this lead to?

The threat to the tourist trade must be considered, bad press on water quality would reduce income as visitors would stay away. Sales of cockles and other shellfish would be impacted.

I believe there is a significant threat to public health and the shellfish industries. I have expressed my concerns to the MMO, the local IFCA and local Environmental Health department asking for some action to prevent an event such as mentioned earlier.

The response from the MMO was that as no boats are involved the situation is outside their jurisdiction.

Environmental Health said they have only very small staff and they must catch the shellfish being sold. ‘When they leave the city we have no jurisdiction, we are powerless’, they say.

The IFCA says they (the pickers) are not breaking any byelaws.

At a recent IFCA committee meeting Environmental Health gave a presentation on what was taking place. Reported numbers of pickers was presented, the highest being in June, July and August, 103, 197 and 99. This I believe does not consider the pickers that work a night shift.

I have asked many times, ‘what action is being taken?’ One committee member replied ‘we don’t know what to do’ and I have not yet received an answer.

What could be done? Councillors tell me:

• a public protection order could be used short term.
• legislation could be put in place restricting the volume harvested.
• A six-month permit scheme could be introduced for legitimate pickers who record and transport their catch to cleaner waters.
• Regular inspections of permits and shellfish harvested.
• This would set keep checks on amounts that could be harvested and would make it illegal to harvest without a permit. There by giving the managing authorities some teeth.

So, if these measures are possible why are the authorities doing nothing to stop this potentially damaging activity?

Picture: Harvesting takes place day and night as the tide leaves the beach and continues until it returns. It continued throughout this summer’s 30 degrees plus temperatures.

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