Pot Markers North Devon and Exmoor Coasts

[Blueprint]

I do not understand why the Bristol Channel has not featured more highly in incidences of boats getting caught up in pot lines. The practice off of North Devon (Ilfracombe,Clovelly,Lundy is just to use small buoys with no marker poles or flags, and due to our high tidal stream rates they get dragged just below the surface on Springs tides. The same situation occurs close inshore all along the Somerset Exmoor Coast and these appear to be laid in long strings linked together.Surely the RNLI must be fed up with call outs resulting from this stupidity. I feel that the fishermen placing them are not exercising their duty of care to other users of the sea.There must be some legal liability here somewhere.Come on you sea lawyers just what is the legal position.

 

[BrendanS]

Why do you think Bristol Channel suffers more than other regions?

 

[Blueprint]

I do not think it suffers more ,but did notice in a recent survey I think in the lifeboat magazine that it did not rate a mention,perhaps because there are fewer yachts in this area .
But the fact that it is a beatiful cruising area particularly the Exmoor coast is a secret we keep to ourselves.
Fewer boats or not ,these pots are a very serious danger that needs sorting.