Plundering of beaches leads to health concerns

Fife’s beaches are being plundered by criminal gangs, putting human health and the environment at risk.

Police have been acting on tip-offs about unlicensed gangmaster activity at coastal seaside locations in Fife.

Officers from Police Scotland joined forces with the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority ( GLAA) and immigration enforcement to visit the Pettycur Bay area to identify individuals breaking the law by collecting large quantities of razor clams, protected under the Sea Fisheries Act 2017.

Agencies are worried Fife is becoming a hotspot for an increasingly lucrative underground trade.

Constable Lindsay Kerr, wildlife and environmental crime officer for Fife, said a number of people were spoken to and reminded of the legislation.

“There are a number of concerns with the illegal collection of razor clams, given its increased links to organised crime groups nationally,” he said.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners to investigate this matter and anyone with information should contact us immediately.”

Harvesting razor clams can impact on their populations and damage the coastal ecosystem. There are also fears contaminated seafood is being traded on a commercial scale.

Anyone with information can contact police in Fife via 101 or make an anonymous report to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police have targeted illegal activity at Pettycur Bay, Kinghorn.