Consultation over whelk protection plans

Do the Island's whelks need more protection to prevent over-fishing?

That's the question the government's asking as it launches a consultation into ways of protecting the shellfish stocks.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture says while there are restrictions on catching whelks up to three miles from the coast, there's little regulation in the rest of the Island's seas which extend 12 miles out.

Ideas include fishing licences for whelks, limiting the number of pots each vessel can use, upping the minimum size that can be caught and closing fisheries on a seasonal basis.