Fishermen warn against new Welsh protection zones

BBC News - 

Fishermen in west Wales have urged the assembly government not to introduce tougher marine conservation zones.

The fishermen told The Politics Show Wales their already fragile industry has never been in a worse state.

But the Marine Conservation Society argues that the new zones might actually benefit the industry.

Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said she wanted a balance of "a sustainable source of fish and also a sustainable environment for our wildlife".

Fenton Duke, a fisherman with 35 years' experience, who dredges for oysters in the Milford Haven waterway, said he would have to stop or relocate if the area becomes one of the new protected zones.

"It's more rules and regulations," he said.

"The problem is the more areas that get closed down, everyone starts fishing on top of one another, and that causes a lot of problems. It's getting harder now, just to run a boat is so expensive.

"The prices for crab and lobster, they're 20 years old, it's getting ridiculous."

Later this year, the assembly government will launch a consultation on plans to create three or four marine conservation zones. The idea is to allow marine life and the sea bed to flourish, but it would mean a complete ban on fishing within the zone.

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