2019/07/28 Dredge damage, Summer Isles Eilean Dubh
Illegal scallop dredging is an urgent concern for the whole Scottish Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network. This network was established in 2015-2016 in order to recover and conserve Scotland’s damaged marine habitats.
On the 18th of July 2019 a scallop dredger was sighted and recorded by local creel fisherman - this was reported to the Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation and community members were alerted. Several other witnesses sailing in the area reported that the boat had been dredging in broad daylight not far from Reiff. Both sitings were well within the boundary of the Marine Protected Area. On the 29th of July a coalition made of members of the local community, creel and dive fishermen and recreational divers supported by a Marine NGO set out to film the damage caused by the scallop dredger in order to provide evidence to the authorities. Tracks were found on the seabed - destroyed by the current dredging and it had obviously been a target of previous dredging. Damaged maerl can take generations to repair and is its value to the nation and community is beyond measure. Ocean Quahogs live on maerl beds and are one of the oldest living species on the planet - living up to 400-500 years. Alex Thomson of Channel 4 News describes the illegal dredging incident here.
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