Random Jottings
Changes to the shellfish quotas in Northumbrian Area
The old by-laws regarding the taking of shellfish in my stamping ground were always a bit awkward........
It used to be the case that the boat could take 1 lobster, 5 crabs and 20 scallops (whelks) in a day, not an issue unless the first diver back had scragged a lobster and anyone else coming back with 'food' either had to argue or return his goodies.
Now the regulations produced for 2017 have changed to something a tad more sensible!
In byelaw 4 - Crustacea and Molluscs permitting and Pot Limitation
Section - Prohibition
Clause - D ii
A person must not fish for or take any specified shellfish except where that person is fishing for or taking specified shellfish by diving and they do not take more than 1 lobster, 5 edible crabs or velvet crabs, 20 whelks or 5 prawns in any day
So in summary if a boat has ten divers each may take his or her limit, although this may change based on stock levels. Talking with the chief officer he cannot forsee this particular rule changing as divers take, in a year, a fraction of what boats take in a day.
Whilst you can celebrate this small victory please remember that some harbours don't like the landing of shellfish so for crying out loud if you must scrag a lobbie please, please, please keep it in a closed bag and no trophy shots on the pier please!
All of you budding hunters must remember that as far as lobsters are concerned you must leave them if they are V notched or have a mutilated tail, also leave them if they are soft and you can't rip off claws and keep them, that's a big no no anyway.
Regarding crabs you cant keep them if they are soft or berried.....I am not sure why the berried clause applies to crabs and not lobsters although I have been informed that you may be restricted in the taking of berried lobsters from 2018 onwards.
So there you go some changes and 'good news'!
Dive safe
RichW
Latest Photographs


As you move south the wreck doesn't appear to peter out and you do need more than a couple of dives to do the site justice
This site is home to a multitude of Common Hermit Crabs (pagurus bernhardus)
A valve identification plate, interestingly this one has raised lettering rather than details stamped in. This means that it must have been cast, a rather strange and expensive way to make simple ID plates!
You will certainly get a few chances for 'davit' shots on the wreck!
Part of the anchor assembly that is concreted into the sea-bed, you can see the anchor behind the main, round, rusty bit
Pretty sure that this is a Shanny (Lipophrys phalis) that had set up shop in the cut off end of the pier hand rail. This 'dries out' at low water so either the hole has water inside or the fish darts out and waits until the tide comes up again!
Fore-deck equipment, in this case a single anchor chain winding unit, usually powered the holes at the top allow it to be used 'mandraulically' if required.
A very large, well the largest that I have ever seen Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris), she was sitting on-top of a rock pretending to be weed but had the 'wrong' colouration, the skin texture was right though!
A Devonshire cup-coral (Caryophyllia smithii), there are loads of these multi-coloured critters on the wreckage
This is the rounded section of stern and you can see how it's all falling apart as age causes a general degradation of the thinner steel used on these vessels, I don't think that there will be much left of the smaller vessels on the bicentennary of WW1
A dead Velvet Swimming Crab (Necora puber) being eaten by Hermit Crabs (Pagurus bernhardus) and Common Starfish (Asterias rubens) everything is used, nothing goes to waste in the seas!
A view into the propellor shaft, simply taking a bearing along the shaft and follow over the sand and you will reach the other part of the wreck
I took this one whilst lying flat on my back in 6m of water, clear and nice
A lebgth of conveyor belt, maybe used originally for lifting crushed stone from the quarry?
The engine block, the shot-line is tied to this