Wash Cockle and Mussel Management

At the 62nd Eastern IFCA meeting held on 10 December 2025, members made several decisions regarding management of cockle and mussel fisheries in The Wash. A short summary of the decisions is provided below followed by additional detail.

  • The Wash mussel fishery remains open and the Authority will be consulting with fishermen about new management measures for the fishery
  • It was agreed in principle that Wash Cockle and Mussel Permit fees will be increased and the Authority will be consulting on these in the New Year
  • Following advice from Defra on further delays in dealing with the Authority’s application for a Several Order and a suggestion to explore alternative regulatory mechanisms to manage aquaculture in The Wash, the Authority is exploring alternative options and will do so in dialogue with Wash fishery stakeholders
  • In lieu of a Several order to manage Wash shellfish Lays, interim measures have been maintained to protect stock belonging to lay holders. However, the interim measures which underpin Wash lay management are to be reviewed.

Much of the work outlined above will be undertaken during 2026 and Wash fishery stakeholders will be contacted directly to provide more information and will be invited to contribute via consultations in due course.

Mussel Fishery

The annual Wash mussel survey identified that there is sufficient mussel to enable both a harvestable (targeting adult mussel) and relaying (targeting juvenile mussel for use in aquaculture) fisheries.

Ordinarily the mussel fishery closes during surveys and until the survey results and associated Habitat Regulation Assessment have been completed. However, this year, the fishery has been maintained as open under the existing management measures.

Two beds have closed to the fishery following consideration of the survey results, which indicate the beds are no longer suitable for mussel harvesting. Wash Mussel fishery permit holders have been notified of the bed closures.

The Authority will consult with stakeholders early in 2026 about the continuation of the fishery.

Relevant links:

Wash Cockle and Mussel Permit Fees

The Authority’s management of the Wash cockle and mussel fisheries includes annual stock surveys, detailed stock and Habitat Regulations assessments, compliance monitoring and enforcement activity. The cost to the public purse is significant and as such, in 2017 the Authority decided that it would seek cost recovery by way of fees to those who access the fishery. The Authority also decided that such cost recovery would be capped at 50%.

The current fees, which were set in 2019, have been reviewed and fee increases are required to achieve 50% cost recovery.

At the 62nd meeting, Authority members agreed in principle to increase fees subject to a consultation with permit holders and consideration of impacts via an impact assessment.

Permit holders will be contacted in the new year about the fee proposals and to seek their views on the potential impacts of such. The information gathered during the consultation will be provided to members, along with the associated impact assessment, to inform a final decision on permit fees.

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Replacement of the Wash Fishery Order 1992 (Several Order)

Between January 1993 and January 2023, the Authority managed shellfish Aquaculture under the Several Order component of the Wash Fishery Order 1992. The Authority agreed in 2020 to apply for a new Several Order to continue to enable Wash shellfish aquaculture and a formal application was submitted in April of 2022.

The Authority has been advised by Defra that despite already having been delayed, the application for a Several Order is unlikely to be dealt with until 2027/28 and have suggested that the Authority explore alternative regulatory mechanisms to enable and manage shellfish aquaculture in The Wash.

Officers will explore alternative options during the first half of 2026, with a view to reporting findings back to the Authority in June 2026.

Relevant links:

Wash aquaculture interim management

Since the expiry of the Wash Fishery Order 1992 in January of 2023, the Authority has managed Wash shellfish aquaculture under ‘interim measures’. The measures were intended to be used in the short-term only and, because of the delay in progressing the replacement Several order, operating under the interim measures is becoming increasingly challenging.

In particular, managing ownership of lays (the areas severed from the public fishery) and addressing issues with wild cockle settling in such areas is challenging and requires further consideration.

As such, the Authority will review the interim measures in the new year including through dialogue with lay holders and wider Wash fishery stakeholders.

Relevant links:

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