The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture has circulated a consultation document asking local authorities for their views on the ’Designation of Inshore Marine Nature Reserves’.

Ramsey Commissioners will respond saying that while in favour of the policy they would welcome more efforts to protect marine life in Ramsey Bay.

Wilf Young was vociferous in his condemnation of such efforts so far, saying that dredging of the sea bed for scallops had reduced it to a desert, with nothing left for the fish to eat.

’There are no fish in the bay,’ he said.

’They don’t come here because it’s bare. It’s a desert. The fishermen have destroyed it.’

He added: ’I’ll be writing to the department myself, in a personal capacity. It’s only my opinion, but I expect I’ll get lynched for saying it!’