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ormering

 
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tai haku



Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 13 8:25 pm    Post subject: ormering Reply with quote
    

So the Channel Islands is the only part of the UK where you can find abalone in reasonable quantities. Our native species is the green ormer, Haliotis tuberculata, and is rather prized here. Ormer have apparently been rather overfished according to the old timers but you can still find a few big ones. Per wikipedia:
Quote:
"Ormering" is now strictly regulated in order to preserve stocks. The gathering of ormers is now restricted to a number of "ormering tides", from January 1 to April 30, which occur on the full or new moon and two days following that. No ormers may be taken from the beach that are under 90 mm in shell length. Gatherers are not allowed to wear wetsuits or even put their heads underwater. Any breach of these laws is a criminal offence which can lead to a fine of up to £5,000 or six months in prison

The traditional usage is a casserole believe it or not. Today was one of those tides so I went out ormering. Not to forage food this time but for an explore with our local marine biology group....

Score!








The other edible of interest were crabs. Some big velvet swimmers but also huge numbers of young little edible crabs (known locally as "shanker" - I think it's spelt "chancre" mind). Some of the non-edible finds were interesting too.

Gunnel


Goby


Cornish sucker




Seahare

tai haku



Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 13 8:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

erm. oops. this isn't the foraging forum I was intending to post in. sorry. can i get a little mod help to move it?

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 13 8:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    


jamanda
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Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35056
Location: Devon
PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 13 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Lovely photos as ever. Interesting to see the ormer in its shell.

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 13 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It's 'chancre' in The Book Of Ebenezer LePage which is my source of reference for Guernsey-related matters.
Great pics. I've never seen a wild abalone/ormer

tai haku



Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 13 10:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Jamanda wrote:
Lovely photos as ever. Interesting to see the ormer in its shell.


sean wrote:
It's 'chancre' in The Book Of Ebenezer LePage which is my source of reference for Guernsey-related matters.
Great pics. I've never seen a wild abalone/ormer


thanks both - I'd never seen one of ours til today - the one thing the pics don't do justice to is scale - they're surprisingly huge. Minimum legal size is, I think - don't quote me, 8cm across so they're a mighty beastie.

Chancre it is Sean; one of those french origin words which has been rather anglicised in the pronuncuation here.

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