Kent & Essex Sea Fisheries Committee

Welcome to the Kent & Essex Sea Fisheries Committee Website

Aim

The Committee has established as its principle aim:-

To manage, regulate, develop and protect the fisheries within the area of the Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries District with a view to balancing the needs of the fisheries and the sustainability of the marine environment, both now and in the future.

About us

The Committee's Sea Fisheries district covers an area of over 1,200 square statute miles and extends from Dungeness in Kent to the northern boundary of Essex on the River Stour. The Sea Fisheries District extends into the Thames Estuary up to Mucking Creek and seaward to the 6 mile limit, which due to drying sand banks extends up to 15 miles offshore.

The Committee is, in common with all other Sea Fisheries Committees, a regulating body and has powers under the Sea Fisheries Regulation Act 1966 to make byelaws to be observed within its District. In addition to enforcing its own byelaws the Sea Fisheries Committee also enforces national and EU legislation relating to Sea Fisheries within its District.

In addition the Committee is also responsible for The Thames Estuary Cockle Fishery Order 1994 and the River Roach Oyster Fishery Order 1992.

How does the Committee work?

The Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries Committee is one of twelve such Committees and was established by Statutory Order made in May 1890. The Committee comprises representatives from five Local Authorities within its area, together with 9 members appointed by Defra and 1 member appointed by The Environment Agency. The total membership of the Committee is 22.

The principal enforcement functions of the Committee relate to minimum landing sizes for fish and shellfish, the management of the cockle fishery, mesh size requirements for fishing gear and specifications for the setting of fixed nets and pots. The Committee can make byelaws to address local fisheries management issues (subject to confirmation by Defra).

Staff

The staff complement comprises of 1 Chief Fishery Officer, 1 Fishery Officer (Kent), 1 Fishery Officer (Essex), 4 Crew/Fishery Officers (who crew the offshore patrol vessel), an Office Manager, and a part time Clerical Assistant. This is spread over two sites, with the main office in Ramsgate and the second office in Brightlingsea.

taylor-joan@btconnect.com

Seed mussel surveys tender information

Kent & Essex SFC have received funding from Defras Fisheries Challenge Fund to study the mussel populations within our district. The project breaks down into 3 main components

· To assess when mussels spawn and how fast they grow within the district.

· To complete a base line survey of the known mussel beds.

· To implement best management practice used by other seed mussel stock managers.

As part of this project we are aiming to use the mussel bed in the Medway approaches as one of our sampling populations. We would like to involve local fishermen in the survey work to sample the Medway bed throughout the year, and invite people to tender for the contract to complete this work.

Best safety standards will be required (able to conform to Cefas safety requirements) and the skipper will help plan the detailed programme. The survey work will involve the use of a mussel dredge (of a commercial size) provided by the tenderer and the vessel used must possess a GPS navigator/plotter and a recording echo-sounder.

For more information please contact

Kent & Essex Sea Fisheries Committee
The Ice House

Military Road

Ramsgate

Kent

CT11 9LG

Tel: 01843 585310