Consultation 1 - Agree initial framework model outlines

Consultation 1 will review and evaluate a range of basic framework models and will include:

1. The size and shape of any specific management area

2. The type of fishing gear

3. Whether access to an area would be limited and if so to what kind of number/range of licences or permit would likely be issued

4. Whether the IFCA would use a Regulating Order or Byelaw to manage the area

Consultation 1 is now closed

The consultation process was open from 24 March 2022 to 9 May 2022

As with the listening phase consultation, stakeholders were given the opportunity to book a 10-minute slot and give filmed evidence to feed into the process.

This evidence was recorded and filmed to allow us to create a true and accurate account of each participants’ views and, for those participants who agreed, to allow people not able to attend the session to hear the views expressed by them

KEIFCA oral evidence panel

Cllr John Lamb (Chairman, KEIFCA)

Mr John Nichols  (Vice Chairman, KEIFCA) 

Mr Richard Turner (MMO representative)

To mirror the written questionnaire that also formed part of the consultation process, the oral evidence panel asked the same 3 questions to each participant. After these questions, there was an opportunity for any further comment from the participant as well as the ability for the panel to ask any further follow up questions.

1. Do you have any thoughts, comments, or suggestions on the proposed vision statement 

2. Which set of options would you support & why; the suction dredge only options or the suction dredge and small-scale options.  If you included small scale, what would you consider a small scale fishery to be?

3. Which do you think is the best option and why?

KEIFCA members will consider the evidence provided on this site in conjunction with the results of the written questionnaires when they next meet on 14 June 2022 at Chelmsford BC, Essex.

One hundred and ninety seven questionnaires were emailed or posted to stakeholders.

From these forty nine completed questionnaires were returned which can be found below:

Six options were developed from the feedback provided from the Listening Phase. In Consultation 1 stakeholders were asked to evaluate them using the evaluation criteria provided. Stakeholders were also asked to provide their own option.

Details of what was said against each option are provided below:

Feedback from the Listening Phase clearly indicated the current set up of the permit fishery was not working nor providing a reliable income. In the same Listening Phase, fishers not currently working in the Thames cockle fishery indicated they would like to set up a small scale fishery.

In Consultation 1, stakeholders were asked if they would support a small scale fishery trial to understand the impact and economic potential of different types of cockle harvesting gear and operations.

Details of what was said are summarised below:

Members of Kent & Essex IFCA will be meeting at Chelmsford Council offices on 14 June 2022 to discuss and vote on the following matters:

1. Consultation 1 summary

2. Agreeing a final vision statement and evaluation criteria to use in the process of developing future cockle fishery management

3. Small-scale trial feedback and 2022 Permitted Cockle Fishery Management

4. Framework options to take through to Consultation 2

The agenda for this meeting and reports can be found below: