So I’ve decided to post this article for those who may have heard about scallop dredging being very destructive on sensitive habitats but are maybe rather hazy as to why this is. But why exactly is scallop dredging so damaging on reef communities compared to other forms of bottom fishing? There is probably not spelled out as clearly as possible those familiar with the gear perhaps assuming it is obvious. There are numerous studies identifying damage on seabed habitats from scallop dredging, and much indeed about the impacts in Lyme Bay in particular.
I’ve written this in relation the the Lyme Bay Closed Area (see my earlier blogs about this: Part 1 and Part 2) and the concerns about the impacts of scallop dredging on the nearshore reefs that lead to this statutory closure. So I believe this is still a relevant piece in relation to the massive amounts of damage caused to reef, boulder and indeed all seabed habitats. Scallop dredging is still conducted around the World: Iceland, Ireland, Faeroes, North America, to name just a few. However the majority of the UK’s coastal seas, and indeed coastal seas around the World, do not. Lyme bay now has statutory protection from scallop dredging, and all towed bottom fishing gear. If moved off-site for several years, but in 2020 I’ve reinstated it, with a few very minor changes.
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