Page 216 - Alderney Regional Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy: Environmental Report

Alderney Regional Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy:
Environmental Report
Overall, the total volume and value of landings by the Alderney based fleet has decreased
between 2004 and 2009. The data shows that lobster and edible crab provided the highest
annual landing values for all years except 2009, and have the highest mean annual value. In
2009, landings from potting (for lobster, edible crab and spider crab) comprised 27% of the total
volume of landings (26,851kg) representing 30% of the total value (values not shown in
Tables). The value of landings from other gear types was not available for analysis. In 2009,
the top five species with respect to volumes landed were seabass (25,397kg), edible crab
(17,549kg), black bream (11,509kg), conger (10,256kg) and lobster (6,737kg). The five highest
value species in the same year were seabass (£139,684), lobster (£67,370), edible crab
(£21,059), smoothound (£13,158) and black bream (£12,660) (Source: ACRE supplied data,
February 2013; volume data not shown in Tables).
7.2.1.1 Aquaculture
There are currently no registered aquaculture sites on Alderney and hence no relaying or on-
growing of shellfish currently occurs within Alderney waters (David Wilkinson, pers. com.
February 2013). As such, no further consideration of aquaculture is made in this assessment.
7.2.1.2 Recreational fisheries
Recreational fishing (sea and shore angling) is an important tourist industry for Alderney
contributing up to 5% of the island’s tourist income. Chartered sea angling, including reef and
bank, shark and fly fishing, take place around Alderney (ARE, 2009) and is carried out using
local offshore charter vessels. The main fishing season lasts from March to October, although
some fishing continues during the winter. Five to six chartered vessels regularly cross the
English Channel from Weymouth for recreational fishing between April and October (AEA,
2007 and references therein).
Recreational sea fishing areas generally coincide with large sand banks south of Alderney and
the Casquets (AEA, 2007). Other areas include the Swinge, two locations just north of Burhou
and the Race (ARE, 2009). Longis Bay is also used for bait collection (ARE, 2009). Large
areas of coastline are used by recreational anglers (Alderney Wildlife Trust pers. comm., June
2013).
7.2.1.3 Future baseline
The Bailiwick of Guernsey fishing fleet continues to face the challenge of maintaining profitable
operations against a background of finite markets and the high cost of fuel, the latter of which
particularly affects Alderney as excise duty is applied to all hydrocarbons on the island,
irrespective of whether it is used for industry. To help maintain profitability, old and new landing
opportunities have been secured in the port of Dielette and Cherbourg, ensuring that trade links
with France are secure in the future (States of Guernsey Sea Fisheries Section, 2011).
A Fisheries Management White Paper has proposed a number of changes to fisheries
management within Alderney’s territorial waters (within 3nm), which would include bans on
certain types of fishing gears (pair and beam trawling) and restricting the power and size of
R/4001/7 192 R.2129