The scallop industry fears for its future after major cuts in catch quotas were announced for this year.
Total allowable catch for queen scallops has been cut by 40% to just 476 tonnes for the season, which began this week.
And Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot warned there was a ’real possibility’ that there would be no queen scallop fishing at all next year.
The restrictions came after a survey carried out for the DEFA by Bangor University highlighted that queen scallop stocks had decreased to their lowest level since 1993.
But the head of the Manx Fish Producers’ Organisation said the decision to restrict catches has been made using insufficient data.
Dr David Beard said the association had carried out its own survey, designed with the help of Bangor University, which he said indicated that stocks were higher.
He said that if the restrictions stayed, and were followed by a total ban next year, the impact would be ’catastrophic’ on the island’s fishing industry, which employs 300 people directly or indirectly.
But Mr Beard said if the 476 tonnes limit stayed, then this year’s queenie fishing season would last just five or six weeks, when it used to run to the end of October.
The industry was ’angry, worried and frustrated’ at the DEFA’s announcement, he said.
He added: ’I’m concerned about the future. This could decimate the industry.
’We are not criticising Bangor University in this. It is a standard survey repeated year after year. We are not saying that data is wrong, but that there is not enough of it. The data isn’t a true reflection of what’s on the ground.’
He said he was ’astonished’ when the Bangor survey results came out and although the industry didn’t dispute the idea of declining stocks, there was evidence that queenie numbers had increased this year.
King scallop fishermen have reported catching large numbers of queenies and huge populations of juveniles have been found in the south of the island, Mr Beard said.
Querying the DEFA’s survey results, the Manx Fish Producers’ Organisation carried out its own survey. This looked at 128 stations in three areas compared to the 52 stations in four areas assessed in the initial survey.
Results are still being analysed, but Mr Beard said: ’We definitely found more queenies. They are fishing at the moment and catch rates are very good with a high percentage of adult queenies.’
One boat on Tuesday caught 32 bags in its first tow and 28 in its second. Each bag is 35kg. The new weekly limit is 77 bags or 2,695kg.
He said it was particularly ’unwise’ for the Minister to predict a possible closure of queenie fishery next year when the amount of stock then was unknown. DEFA has promised to review the catch quotas in four weeks’ time.
There are 47 to 49 boat licences to fish queenies, of which 28 are Manx. All the Manx boats are net fishery vessels rather than dredgers.
Mr Beard said he knew of two Manx boats that have been put up for sale already.
But the 40% cut will impact on the processors who will need to look at staff levels.
He said the Manx fishermen wanted to fish sustainably and had led the way in supporting curfews and catch limits. But he said the Manx government should be pressing the UK for a pan-Irish Sea agreement.
A weekend ban on queen scallop fishing will also remain in place this season and the area at Chickens, off the island’s south coast, will also operate a closed zone to protect stock levels in the area.
As well as a weekly catch limit for the trawl fishery, there’s an individual quota for dredge vessels.
Environment Minister Mr Boot said: ’These restrictions will allow for the fishing of some queen scallops to still take place this year while also allowing time for fishers to diversify.
’The approach over the past several years hasn’t been enough to ensure the sustainability of our queen scallops. There is a very real possibility that there will be no queen scallop fishing next year.’
He added: ’It is important to remember that we cannot discriminate on grounds of nationality as part of the Fishing Management Agreement.’