Shellfish Survey of Castlemaine Harbour (Cromane)

Abstract

Castlemaine Harbour has the oldest mussel fishery in Ireland and the only mussel purification tank to date (capacity 360 tons per month built in 1941) is operated in that area. The monthly landings and their values since 1966 are given in. Recently Castlemaine Harbour has shown a sustained annual growth in mussel landings. In September 1972 a survey was carried out in Castlemains Harbour and the inner part of Dingle Bay to estimate the total quantity of available commercial shellfish. There are bout 6,840 acres in Castlemaine Harbour inside a straight line drawn from Inch Point to the old Coastguard Station at Cromane. About 2,000 of these are sub-littoral and the rest consist of about 1,800 acres of sand (which is less suitable for shellfish farming). A further 2,240 acres of mud and sandy mud at Banc Fluic are suitable for shellfish cultivation. There are a further 880 acres suitable for cockle cultivation outside these boundaries in Glenbeigh Straid known locally as the Cockle Strand.