NWIFCA has today launched a consultation into a proposed new policy for our district’s cockle and mussel fisheries.

The draft policy sets out a proposal to set minimum fishing thresholds for all Byelaw 3 permit holders, which would be determined by a small group of Authority members on an annual basis. These thresholds would be low and based on a minimum number of days fished on cockle and / or mussel beds across the district. Any permit holder not meeting these thresholds would not be eligible to renew their permit in the following year, but there would be an appeals process for those with legitimate reasons for having not fished.

The rationale behind this draft policy is to increase utilisation of Byelaw 3 permits and increase turnover of the associated waiting list.

Anyone with a view on this policy, whether a Byelaw 3 permit holder, a member of the waiting list or any other stakeholder, is invited to respond to the consultation.

To view the draft Byelaw 3 Minimum Use Policy, please click here.

To provide your views on the policy, please click here.

The consultation will run until Sunday 4th January 2026. Thereafter, officers will consider the responses received with a view to potentially bringing the policy to our Technical, Science and Byelaw Sub-Committee (TSB) in February 2026 for members’ consideration for adoption.