Most of a first-time ormerer’s bumper catch was too small

But part of the reason that 71-year-old John Avery did so well was that more than half of his catch was undersized.

He was stopped by a Sea Fisheries officer as he left the foreshore on 2 February. Avery co-operated fully, but, when measured, 25 ormers in his catch of 40 fell below the minimum size of 80mm.

The undersized ones ranged from 66 to 78mm and the majority were under 75mm. Avery accepted the measurements and said he did not have a gauge to measure the ormers, which were all returned to the sea.

In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Avery, of 2, Ellerton Place, Vale Avenue, Vale,

admitted taking undersized ormers. He had no previous convictions.

Avery told the court he had not intended to take undersized ormers. He was aware of the minimum size for gathering them and said he had used a piece of string to measure them, though he accepted this was inadequate.

He saw the Sea Fisheries officer on the slipway and it had taken him 20 minutes to walk there so he would have had ample time to dispose of his catch.

The officer had been very polite to him and he was glad to see that his own co-operation had been noted.

It had been a spur of the moment decision to go ormering following a conversation he had had with somebody and he had never been before.

Judge Graeme McKerrell said the defendant’s guilty plea and previous good character were acknowledged and it was accepted that he had just stumbled into ormering.

He had been co-operative throughout and was unlikely to appear before a court again.

‘But ormering is an important feature of Guernsey life and stocks have to be preserved,’ he said.

The judge said the penalties imposed were not insignificant for that reason and fined Avery £750.