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WQ.385/2024
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
BY DEPUTY J. RENOUF OF ST. BRELADE
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 28th OCTOBER 2024 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 4th NOVEMBER 2024
Question
"Will the Minister advise the number of Jersey licences or permits held by scallop dredgers and separately by scallop divers for each year for the period 2020 to date?"
Answer
All scallop diving, be it recreational or commercial, requires a permit that can be applied for online via gov.je. Scallop dive permits are issued to an individual diver not to a vessel. The number of permits for scallop diving issued for the years 2020 to 2024 were:
- 2020: 117 permits - 24 of which were commercial relating to 17 vessels
- 2021: 98 permits - 21 of which were commercial relating to 16 vessels
- 2022: 80 permits - 14 of which were commercial relating to 11 vessels
- 2023: 77 permits - 17 of which were commercial relating to 12 vessels
- 2024: 88 permits so far – 11 of which are commercial relating to 8 vessels
Some dive vessels may have multiple divers operating from that vessel, all of whom require a permit. Recreational permit holders may retain 24 scallops/day, whilst commercial scallop permit holders can retain an unlimited number of scallops. Divers are not tied to operating from a specific boat.
In July 2024, MENV established a mobile gear permit system for Jersey vessels. There are currently 11 mobile gear permits issued to Jersey vessels, which includes the use of scallop dredges. Prior to this any licenced Jersey vessel could have engaged in scallop dredging (or scallop diving). However, the actual number of Jersey commercial vessels that declared dredging or diving activity in their logbooks (currently only available until the end of 2023) were:
- 2020: 7 dredgers and 16 dive boats
- 2021: 7 dredgers and 15 dive boats
- 2022: 6 dredgers and 11 dive boats
- 2023: 8 dredgers and 12 dive boats
From February 2023, Jersey issued licences to French commercial vessels with gear authorisations relating to extent and nature of activities in accordance with the TCA. There are 40 permits available to French fishing vessels to use scallop dredges (currently 39 in issue). There are no scallop dive permits available to the French fleet