Dredging in the Channel

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Dredging in the Channel

Plans are being drawn up to strip mine the sea bed of the Channel to meet the soaring demand for building materials in the South East. But the area is regarded as exceptionally important for marine wildlife.

A consortium of dredging companies want to remove hundreds of millions of tonnes of sand and gravel from an area about the size of Greater London, mid-way between the Sussex coast and northern France. They say it’s urgently needed because reserves off the Norfolk coast are close to exhaustion, and that great care will be taken to minimise environmental damage.

info from bbc country file
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/environm...countryfile/#2

So whats your view on Dredging in the Channel :?:

[Norfolkboy]

by reading that it seems like it's a good idea so norfolk coast is alright.
unless i have read it wrong :?

[upnorth1]

let me get this right...dredging for sand and gravel for building materials...eh??? why the channel? Call me what you like, but somebody must be making a packet outa this scenario!!! and it aint the tax payer...

[Fishing Forum Admin]

What I saw was that dredging takes upto 20 yrs for it to return to it natural state

Upto 30% of what is taken from our sea beds is exported - because countires like demark have very strike rules on protecting there sea beds

We have enough gravel on the land but the cost would be greater than getting it from the sea

I thinks this is wrong -

Stocks are in a bad way and the proposed areas are sprawning areas for plaice ect .....

If other countries have stopped or restricted this practice why are we not

Its all about money not about the future :x

[upnorth1]

I agree with you Richard...

If this is going to affect fish stocks, then maybe the nfsa should lobby parliament, ( we should tell them there are wmd's in the channel, then they could send in some inspectors and all they will find is FISH!!! lol)

Dont want to get too political mate, but this government is all about saving and making money, but at wahat price??

[steve devon]

they will stop if it they dont agree with it

[DownSouth]

Paul, I think the NFSA willl/is alrerady lobbying parliament. I received my member pack today (no diary included and had to pay £1.20 postage and handling as the NFSA didn't put a stamp on :roll: ) and that had a few lines about conservation and action regarding dredging for shingle.

I had this very conversation with my wifes uncle a few months back (he is a Marine Biologist) and Richard is correct when he says it takes 20 years to put right the effects of dredging. A lot of fish spawn into gravel and shingle and if this environment disappears, so will they, to new spawing grounds. The effect on South Coast fishing would be immediate.

Dredging is neccesary to keep shipping channels clear, but dredging for building materials is just wrong.