Dee cockle beds shut for the year

The Environment Agency wants to reduce the number of cocklers

The Dee Estuary cockle beds will not be opened for harvesting this year, the Environment Agency Wales has announced.

The decision follows a study in April which found that the number of mature cockles ready for harvest was very low on all five beds.

It is the third year in which the beds have been shut, although the study did find a "good number" of smaller cockles which could be harvested in the future.

The agency said it would be increasing its patrols to stop illegal cockling.

Alan Winstone, of the Environment Agency, said the high price paid for cockles could lead to people breaking the law.

"We have increased our patrols on the estuary and are working closely with the police and other agencies to protect this valuable natural resource," he said.

Mr Winstone added that the numbers of smaller cockles was "encouraging" and that their progress would be closely monitored.

He said: "This is good for the local wildlife and promises good future prospects for the fishery."

'Sustainable'

The estuary's cockles are an important source of food for the wildfowl and wading birds during the winter months.

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency is also continuing to press for a regulating order to limit the number of fishermen who are allowed on the estuary.

A public inquiry on the issue is scheduled for 5 June in Chester.

"We are hopeful that this will be in place for 2008 to enable us to have a sustainable, safe fishery which provides a regular income to fishermen, protects other wildlife and reduces the impact on the local environment," said Mr Winstone.

The Dee is one of five major cockle fisheries in the UK. Current byelaws, introduced in 1995, do not enable the agency to restrict the number of fishermen, or to recover the costs of regulating the fishery.