1.1 The Menai Strait (West) Oyster, Mussel and Clam Fishery Order and the Conwy Mussel Fishery Order both expire in 2008. Senior fishery Officer Greta Hughes has taken the leading role in preparing applications for the renewal of these Fishery orders, and this report summarises progress to date.

1.2 The renewal process is being guided by 2 Steering Groups, one for each Order, chaired by the Vice-Chairman for Wales, Dr. Stephen Lockwood. There have been 2 meetings of these Steering Groups to date.

2.1 Greta Hughes has completed much of the background work necessary to support the applications. This has included the identification of the landowners and interested parties over the Order areas, and consultations with these are about to begin. Management plans for the Orders have been drafted, and these first drafts are attached at Annex A. As both Orders are within the Menai Strait and Conwy Bay Special Area of Conservation, the Fishery Orders will constitute a "Plan or Project" under the Habitats Regulations, and will therefore be subject to a process of Appropriate Assessment, which will be a priority action for the next step of the application process.

2.2 The Menai Strait (West) Order is essentially remaining unchanged, with similar boundaries, species and cultivation practices. This application should therefore be relatively straightforward. This order is a Several Fishery.

2.3 Considerable changes are proposed for the Conwy Order. The present order constitutes a Regulated fishery. It is intended to apply for a Hybrid Order for Conwy. The present Regulated Fishery will remain in force over the existing mussel beds, although it is proposed to modify the regulations to permit limited dredging to harvest the mussels. It is also proposed to create Several Fishery lays, on ground not presently colonised by mussels. The boundary of the Order has been extended into Conwy Bay to allow regulation of seed mussel fishing from the Bay. The revised boundary of the Order is shown at Annex B.