Morecambe Bay April Cockle Survey Results and TSB Recommendation
In 2024, stakeholders voted to trial a July 1st open season. This year, NWIFCA officers undertook April surveys of the NWIFCA cockle beds in Morecambe Bay to determine if there was sufficient stock to open the fishery as of July 1st 2025.
Southport (Penfold) cockle fishery has not be surveyed in April this year due to minimal stock levels. Leasowe has not been surveyed this April due to council and tourism constraints on a pre-September fishery. Both Penfold and Leasowe will be surveyed as usual in July and recommendations for a fishery brought to the August TSB meeting.
Below is a summary of the 2025 Morecambe bay cockle survey results for industry members to view. The full report is available here:
The following recommendations have been made in light of these results.
- The Pilling cockle bed is opened as of July 1st 2025 to February 28th 2026. One tide a day, Monday to Friday.
- The Aldingham and Newbiggin, Leven, Flookburgh and Middleton cockle beds remain closed and are reviewed at August TSB 2025.
Please note: recommendation 2, means the beds will be reviewed after July surveys and further recommendations may be considered with regards to their opening. However, if Members approve the recommendation to open Pilling on July 1st, this means all beds in Morecambe Bay will be closed by February 28th 2026 regardless of a later opening.
Morecambe Bay overview
As of April 2025 there is:
- 8,016 tonnes of cockle in Morecambe Bay
- 6,001 tonnes of size cockle and
- 2015 tonnes of undersize cockle.
The graph shows the biomass of size cockle (blue) and undersize cockle (orange) from 2017 to 2025 for comparison. This year the biomass of size and undersize cockle has decreased. As surveys were undertaken in April, there is the possibility of further increase in growth through the summer months. However, there is a significantly low volume of undersize cockle currently available across Morecambe Bay to grow on, both for this year’s, and next year’s fishery.
Overview of individual beds in Morecambe Bay 2025
The table below provides the biomass of size and undersize cockle for each bed from April 2025 surveys.
The following graph shows the biomass of size cockle for each bed, from 2017 to April 2025 for comparison. Bars framed in black indicate the bed was opened that year.
Pilling is the only bed which has increased in size biomass since July 2025. The area of protected undersize to the east of the bed has grown to size.
Pilling April 2025 results
This year the dense area in the eastern portion of the bed consists of predominantly size cockle. The densities seen in the July 2024 surveys being roughly similar.
The figure below shows the proportion of size and undersize cockle perm2 on Pilling. The numbers above the pie charts show the total weight of cockle (both size and undersize) found at that sample location.
The figure below shows the densities of size cockle on Pilling at each sample point.
