Southend Council ‘neglecting its ancient duty to protect our oysters’ (From Echo)

Might I be so bold as to suggest that each and every Councilor, old and young, gets his shoes and socks off and gets out there on the mud and see just what exactly is going on. Never mind about being aware of the situation.
Get your feet muddy and see first hand for yourselves. Because I am begining to sense by the time SBC gets around to doing something there will not be any oysters left. Just shells to cut open bathers feet. Less talk more action please.
Councilor Wexham I recall brought it to the attention of the Press and his fellow councilors weeks ago.

Southend Council should act and stop this illegal harvesting immediately. I bet you wouldn't be allowed to get away with this in their country. Firstly, why should the nation's fishermen suffer due to quotas etc when Southend allowing this to go on. Secondly what protection is there to the general public - how do they know if they are going to eat reliably prepared oysters or be poisoned by eating unreliably prepared ones collected by these people.
Thirdly they are probably living here illegally and are at the mercy of organised crime gangs sending them out doing this. Catch the real criminals behind this.

The move comes after Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Wexham unearthed documents, dating back to 1220. How many more old laws are forgotten or not inforced any more? Question must be did Mr Peter Wexham vote at the elections or was he one of the vast majority that obstained? Would he have found this document if the lame dems were in over all control of SBC? My money is on no.

whataday wrote:
Southend Council should act and stop this illegal harvesting immediately. I bet you wouldn't be allowed to get away with this in their country. Firstly, why should the nation's fishermen suffer due to quotas etc when Southend allowing this to go on. Secondly what protection is there to the general public - how do they know if they are going to eat reliably prepared oysters or be poisoned by eating unreliably prepared ones collected by these people.
Thirdly they are probably living here illegally and are at the mercy of organised crime gangs sending them out doing this. Catch the real criminals behind this.

This was a party political broadcast on behalf of the British National Party, sponsored by the Daily Mail.

This is the result of a failed immigration integration policy.

I can imagine what would happen in China if hundreds of English people started doing the same there.

To take away!

Brunning999 wrote:
This is the result of a failed immigration integration policy.

I can imagine what would happen in China if hundreds of English people started doing the same there.

I saw more people who didn't look Chinese collecting oysters yesterday than I did Chinese. And that's just what they look like doesn't confirm where they are from.

I don't think I'd fancy eating shellfish from the foreshore.

It has been well established that this is not illegal. There is no action anybody can or needs to take. If there was a health risk where they go it hasn't shown up.

Good opportunity to raise funds for the council coffers. Charge people for a permit to collect the shellfish.

abd123 wrote:
It has been well established that this is not illegal. There is no action anybody can or needs to take. If there was a health risk where they go it hasn't shown up.

There are signs up by the Fishermans Cooperative and the Foreshore Office in Leigh Old Town stating that it IS illegal for non-licensed persons to collect shellfish and a variety of other things from the foreshore!!

As someone who has a boat on a local mooring I note the local ecology. I can assure everyone that these gangs of organised Chinese oyster pickers have ripped many areas of the foreshore to shreds by taking every last oyster. I actually remonstrated with one of them who claimed not a word of English. The Chinese are well known for eating anything that moves and it should be illegal that they can cleanse our local foreshore of shellfish without paying a penny. I have been reliably informed that these oysters are processed for oyster sauce in London so someone is making a huge profit. Southend Council - why don't you let them take every **** thing on the foreshore eh? To hell with being an environment friendly council - it obviously doesn't matter otherwise they would have acted sooner. So everyone when they start dictating how green and environment friendly everyone should be tell them they are a bunch of hypocrites. Environment counts only when the wrong rubbish goes in the wrong bin - not when the local marine ecology is being decimated for profit.

Interestingly on BBC local news last night there are gangs of environmentalists in north Kent (Inc Janet StPorter) walking along the for shore smashing every oyster they see with a hammer as they damage the ecology. They are non native oysters & who ever is collecting them would be in the council's good books sarf of the river ;-)

ATTENTION... People of Southend fail to stop council acting like NAZIS.... A few people picking up oysters? if someone could point out where exactly the problem is?..... and @ APR.. Where do you think shellfish come from then Einstein if its not from the sea?

The 3 parties involved in the council including the Indy lot have neglected everything else so this is no shock.

mouthend on trout wrote:
ATTENTION... People of Southend fail to stop council acting like NAZIS.... A few people picking up oysters? if someone could point out where exactly the problem is?..... and @ APR.. Where do you think shellfish come from then Einstein if its not from the sea?

If you don't know what I meant, there's no point in trying to explain.

APR wrote:

mouthend on trout wrote:
ATTENTION... People of Southend fail to stop council acting like NAZIS.... A few people picking up oysters? if someone could point out where exactly the problem is?..... and @ APR.. Where do you think shellfish come from then Einstein if its not from the sea?

If you don't know what I meant, there's no point in trying to explain.

Southend council should cut a deal with the pickers..... since there are so many they could double up as life guards..... given the ever increasing number of idiots attempting to drown themselves on a seemingly daily basis, a dozen oysters for each life saved seems reasonable ?

mouthend on trout wrote:
ATTENTION... People of Southend fail to stop council acting like NAZIS.... A few people picking up oysters? if someone could point out where exactly the problem is?..... and @ APR.. Where do you think shellfish come from then Einstein if its not from the sea?

Muppet - unless oysters especially are harvested in a special way they are toxic which is why licenses are granted to individuals who know how to do it safely. Also, these people are chucking them on the mud and leaving the shells there - tantamount to leaving razor blades lying around. It's also illegal to take seafood from the foreshore unless you have licenses - cockles, mussels, oysters and whelks in particular. Oyster farmers also track where their ctach goes - illegal gatherers could sell to any restaurant and possibly kill people before any connection is made. So its not being a spoilsport its called common sense and safety

Put an end to the foreign oyster trade on our Southend beaches (we don't know how the oysters are treated or where they indeed go). Many people could be potentially intoxicated.

The Southend Borough Council should act and put a stop to this illegal trading. If there is an old act from the 1200's, endeavour to put this back into place.

Think also green, saving the wild life in Southend, birds who survive on such foods from our shores.