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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (1) if she will make a statement on plans to introduce a licensing system for cockling (a) in Morecambe Bay and (b) elsewhere; [203797] (2) what assistance her Department is offering to Cumbria police in their efforts to regulate the cockling in Morecambe Bay; [203799] (3) what estimate she has made of the tonnage of immature cockles removed from Morecambe Bay in the past 12 months; and what assessment she has made of (a) the ecological and economic consequences of overfishing of cockles in Morecambe Bay and (b) trends in the (i) number and (ii) point of origin of cocklers operating in Morecambe Bay. [203800] Mr. Bradshaw: Management of local inshore fisheries is the responsibility of Sea Fisheries Committees. North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee (NWNWSFC) is responsible for managing the cockle fishery in Morecambe Bay, and runs a permit scheme for one of the cockle beds within Morecambe Bay. NWNWSFC are currently considering extending this scheme to cover the whole of their district, and the Government are currently considering how we can best support this proposal. NWNWSFC are responsible for enforcing their own byelaws. There have been a number of joint enforcement exercises planned and executed with, among others, the local police, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Inland Revenue, and Immigration Service. Fishing is inherently dangerous. On Morecambe Bay the problem is mainly one of ensuring people in control of commercial cockling have proper regard for their own health and safety and that of their workers, taking account of the Bay's tidal conditions and characteristics. The HSE has drawn up and issued safety guidelines to those involved in the fishery. These provide the basis for inspections on the Bay, and at other tidal areas and estuaries around the British coastline. Since the unfortunate tragedy in February the most relevant local organisations have come together in the "Morecambe Bay Intertidal Shellfisheries Joint Liaison Group" to improve the management of cockling activity on the Bay through exchange of intelligence, and coordinated enforcement activity. NWNWSFC monitor cockle stocks in Morecambe Bay and have powers to introduce appropriate management measures should they consider the pattern of exploitation warrants it. The Morecambe Bay Intertidal Shellfisheries Joint Liaison Group regularly reviews the activities of cocklers in Morecambe Bay and is aware of the numbers involved and, in many cases, there national origin.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

428 c1098W; 203797;203799;203800

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Death Cumbria Fisheries Licensing Government assistance Protection Police Lancashire Morecambe Bay Cockles

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk