Razor dredging

[eoghanb]

Over the last few years in Balbriggan area the razor boats are dredging within spitting distance of the rocks ,I've noticed the complete lack of any rock fish ,I've fished the area for about 20 years we always got loads of mini species gobies blennies wrasse red cod scorpion fish etc,anyway I decided to bring the young lad out to go fishing thinking it would be a bit of exciting easy fishing for minis he's four so would be easily pleased,I brought he to all my old reliable spots and not one fish anywhere ,a large crab saved the day and we got something,but it was a very disappointing trip as I was expecting loads of small fish ,has anyone else noticed the lack of fish in areas where they razor trawl?

[freedom1916]

Razor boats are up and down the beaches from Mornington to laytown and are so close in they could wade in and go to the chipper. Noticed a huge increase in weed and other deberies since they have been working here.

[eoghanb]

R

[eoghanb]

Would it be anything to do with the manky sand they would dig up polluting or deoxigenating the water somehow or are the fish just stuffed with the smashed up razors and everything else they would dig up ?

[Fott Jnr]

Yeah,these guys decided to dredge just outside Howth harbor in Dublin here last week,peoples lobster pots got taken along with anything in the way,no sign of any fish neither after they where done.

[Deleted User 3488]

God knows what amount of damage this type of fishing is doing to eco systems.
The amount of suspended silt left behind in the water must make life hard for any fish in the general area.

[freedom1916]

. Razor boat that worked Laytown beach sunk last night.

[Dave78]

Pardon my ignorance but could anyone explain what this type of trawling this is and what exactly they are targeting.

[eoghanb]

Razor clams ,this involves a large cage about the size of a small car but thinner ,the cage has a lip at the front which digs about two feet into the sand which is pulled along at the front a large water hose pumps water into the cage to clear the silt from the cage and before the lip,so whatever is in the path is put in the cage or broken up,it's a very destructive method

[Dave78]

I was guessing as much but just wanted to make sure, thank you eoghan for explaining, its more like open mining then trawling, I would be slow to knock a person earning a living but it does seem to a bit on the reckless side, razor claim cant be worth all that much can they? I imagine it would take weeks if not months to cover costs before taking into account a wage and the destruction of our coast line, could explain why the weed was thigh deep a few months back on some beaches

[tinto]

I think its fairly lucrative especially when there is feck all left on the east coast, got chatting to a skipper in Clogher head during the summer was a nice guy and gave me a bail of them for free. They are all China bound it seems big market for them over there. On the same day another boat hit something while dredging not far out of the mouth of the harbor and was sunk in ten minutes or so a helicopter rescue ensued to save her crew. Could not get over the amount of boats within swimming distance of the shore along Port Oriel strand, its surely making garters of the sea bed.

[eoghanb]

Same old story ,make money now screw tomorrow