Peaceful end to first day of cockle fishing.
THE first day of a new era of cockle farming in tthe Dee Estuary ended peacefully last night.About 350 permits were issued to fishermen from across Merseyside and North Wales as the estuary was re-opened for seven weeks.
Six enforcement officers from the Environment Agency were in West Kirby amid fears that hundreds of unlicensed fishermen may cash in on the re-opening.
Police were also on standby.
But a spokesman for the Agency said last night there had been no problems.
He said: "Everything went smoothly and according to plan.
There was no trouble.
"There's a cordoned off area from the jetty at West Kirby Marina to the Croft Road steps in Caldy. It is far bigger than the area opened for a trial period in August and is clearly marked with yellow buoys.
"All other areas remain closed and no one has tried to cross the markers and begin harvesting illegally."
The area will now open for three days each week until the end of October.
Colin McDonald, who runs shellfish processing factory Wirral Seafoods Deeside Ltd, and organised the original protest against the closure of the beds, said: "We are only taking the larger cockles. As long as good management is employed by the Environment Agency, which is what we were campaigning for, things should progress well and the lads can stay in work."
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| Publication: | Daily Post (Liverpool, England) |
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| Date: | Sep 11, 2001 |
| Words: | 227 |
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