February 7, 2018 — A team of divers claims to have uncovered evidence of illegal scallop dredging in a protected area on the west coast of Scotland, reports the BBC.
Broken shells, dislodged boulders and fresh scallop meat were all filmed on the seabed in the Firth of Lorn.
Environmental group Open Seas said it showed that marine protected areas (MPAs), where fishing with gear is banned, are not effectively policed.
“Illegal dredging is unfortunately not a rare event, fisheries sources have told us they have had multiple reports of illegal activity in this site over the past year,” said Phil Taylor, head of policy for Open Seas.
“Meanwhile, supply chain traceability only goes as far as to a vessel in port, meaning customers and businesses within the supply chain are not able to determine where their scallops are coming from – including whether that is inside an MPA or not,” said Taylor.
Read the full story at Undercurrent News