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Name: Gilbert Gordon
I have been a commercial fisherman in Jersey for the last 14 years having spent 8 years crewing on different boats working on each side of the island and having worked through the waters of the outlying reefs in Jersey, I have owned my own boat for the last 6 years now and worked it single handed of the south coast of Jersey and in the Les Minquers reef some 12 miles south of Jersey.
During my time at sea I have whitnessed first hand the amount of large French vessels working within Jerseys waters, these vessels are very capable vessels and work with 4/5 crew aboard through all weathers never allowing the ground they fish to have a break, some of these boats are 12 meters plus long and they will fish as tight to our out lying reefs as possible, our outer reefs are safe breeding grounds for juvenile lobsters the ground in the reefs do get fished by Jersey boats but In a sustainable manner. During rough weather us Jersey boats do not venture out to the outer reefs as we simply do not have vessels large enough to cover the 12 miles to Les minquiers reef in large swells and strong winds meaning the ground can have a break from fishing during these rough weather periods allowing juvenile Lobsters time to grow allowing our shell fish stock to thrive in the shelter of the reefs and then progress out the reef to deeper water.
I believe it is detrimental to Jerseys shell fish and wet fish stocks to push the 3 mile limit from Jerseys outlying reefs to ensure that large French vessels are not fishing around the reefs during bad weather periods when Jersey boats are allowing the fishing grounds to rest and rejuvenate.
Should the 3 mile limit be kept from Jerseys shore line it will allow French fishing vessels to fish through out Jersey territorial waters even during days when Jersey boats can not get out, with French vessels working larger strings of pots/nets and being able to decimate Jersey fish stocks with no regard for the Jersey fisherman and the future of Jerseys up and coming fishing fleet.
In closing I would ask the states to really think about the effect of having a 3 mile limit from jerseys shore line and ask they reconsider the possibilities of either a 6 mile limit, 12 mile limit or 3 mile limit from the outer reefs. Allowing a 3 mile limit from the shore line would not only be detrimental for the commercial fisherman but detrimental to the leisure fisherman and would even go as far as to cause a hazard to the general leisure boat user.
Many Thanks Gilbert Gordon.
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