[James T]

My letter:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to lend my support for the ban on scallop dredging/trawling by towed methods. However I completely disagree with the banning of freedived scallops. I am an active spearfisherman and freediver and as such am completely selective about the fish and shellfish I take for my own table.

I believe the active engagement of amateur divers and spearfishermen in selectively taking food from the sea encourages positive and informed stewardship of the sea and its resources and should not be included as part of the ban of the indiscriminate and destructive practice of dredging/trawling for scallops.

The amount of damage done by scallop dredging to the sea environment is truly staggering and would be criminal in performed above the water line. I dive regularly in the Lyme Bay area and have witnessed first hand the massive scale of destruction to the marine environment by scallop dredgers. Much of this will never recover to the past state as it relied on underwater soft rock structures which have been levelled by the dredgers. There is absolutely no comparison between this kind of scalloping and that associated with hand caught scalloping performed by freedivers.

Please ban scallop dredging in the Falmouth Bay area but please do not include hand caught scalloping in these measures.

Best regards,

James