Conserve and Sustain

Shellfish & Fisheries

Fisheries within the Dart Estuary are concentrated mainly on salmon and sea trout. The Environment Agency manages these through the issue of annual net licences and the application of local bye laws that govern such things as type of gear and fishing method, open and closed seasons, size limits and by-catch regulations.

Many other species of wild fish benefit from the rich and sheltered waters of the estuary. At times the estuary teams with juvenile sea bass. Dabs and flounder benefit from the myriad species of worms, shrimp and small crustacea. All depend upon the natural richness and good quality of the water.

Prospects for the cultivation of molluscan shellfish (most notably, oysters and mussels) also depend upon maintaining the quality of the estuary waters. With the notable exception of scallops, which don't enjoy the conditions of the estuary, the great majority of bivalve molluscs are sedentary - they neither swim, crawl, nor walk away. They simply sit there and filter all day, feeding on the plankton, exchanging oxygen across their gills, absorbing everything that comes their way. As such they are wonderful indicators of environmental water quality, like 'miners' canaries' for the estuary. They are also excellent and valuable food products.

The designated shellfish area at Waddeton is administered by Devon Sea Fisheries Committee, which has powers to grant licences 'to cultivate and harvest shellfish'. DEEM, through its efforts to ensure the health of the river and estuary, is keen to encourage sustainable shellfish production as a contribution to the economic well-being of the local community and to play a role in the development of shellfish farming across the region.

Find out how DEEM aims to support the shellfish and fisheries of the Dart by reading this extract from the Management Plan. The full plan can be downloaded at the end of the extract.

The plan's guiding principles provide the context in which the aims are achieved and the actions carried out.

The full original plan can be downloaded at the end of the extract, however the latest 2006-2011 Periodic Review Dart Estuary Environmental Management Plan (EMP) can also be downloaded here. It is closely linked with the Management Plan for the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has a five year horizon.

• Guiding Principles

• To work ensuring that the future of mariculture and fisheries interests based in the Dart Estuary is secure and is carried out at a sustainable level without undue detriment to other users, owners, or the natural environment.

• Strategic Objectives

• To provide fish landing facilities in Dartmouth Harbour which fulfill fishermen's needs and have long-term security
• To establish a thriving mariculture enterprise in the River Dart that is sustainable in economic and environmental terms
• To foster, as far as possible, the traditional salmon fishery of the Dart Estuary
• To mitigate any harmful effects of fishing activity upon the environment and other users

Crab Tiling or trapping

Crab Trapping or 'Tiling' is a popular bait collecting activity traditionally practised on the Dart Estuary.

A Code of Conduct advising bait collectors on best practice is now available on this site.

The bait that the collectors are looking for crab is the humble shore crab (Carcinus maenus) or 'Peelers' as they are known. At several stages in its growth cycle, the shore crab needs to shed its shell (exoskeleton) and grow a new, larger one. At this critical stage, the crab is temporarily a soft-bodied animal that the bait collectors want to catch them.

One theory as to why they are thought to be good bait is because the crabs give off pheromones (a smell) that makes them attractive to predatory fish.

Not surprisingly, while the crab is in this 'undressed' and vulnerable state, it likes to crawl under a stone to carry out the transformation. Normally they will seek a hard, rocky foreshore with small, rocks or stones. However, they can be persuaded to move to areas of soft mud if a shelter is provided. The crab trapper lays out redundant roof tiles, drain pipes, guttering and even sometimes car tyres for the crabs to crawl under.

Traditionally many anglers have collected their own bait. There has also been a long-standing commercial trade to supply anglers. In between there are groups of anglers or associations who collect for their own needs.

Until relatively recently, the commercial bait collecting trade dealt exclusively with the domestic (U.K.) market. There is evidence now that the peeler crab bait is being sold to markets outside the U.K. There are even reports that in Southern Europe it is being sold as an ingredient for fish soups and stocks!

There has been tremendous growth in crab trapping particularly in the South West Region of England. Bait collection on the Dart is not thought to be a problem but we need to be aware of what is happening and of any dangers.

A national study has been published in an attempt to develop guidelines for harvesting foreshore species. A study on crab trapping in the South West in 1995 concluded that it was not a significant issue on the Dart and only amounted to a few hundred tiles.

Here at DEEM, we felt we needed to know more. In 2000 we commissioned a detailed undergraduate research survey using local knowledge to look at the issue and suggest management options

Bait collection is a traditional activity on the Dart as it is elsewhere. Most people involved naturally want the tradition to continue but many also realise that that it cannot do so in an uncontrolled way which will threaten its own viability and the activities of others. There are clearly distinctions between bait collection for 'personal use' and 'commercial purposes'.