1.1 As reported elsewhere to this meeting, officers have been monitoring the state of two large patches of seed mussel to the south of Foulney Island. One of these was opened to fishing in December last year while the other one, which was considered unsuitable as a fishery due to the fragile nature of the bed, remained closed.

1.2 Recent inspections have revealed that the same areas are again holding large stocks of undersize (15-30mm) mussels which are in danger of being lost through erosion by wind or tide.

1.3 Although no specific application to gather undersized mussels has yet been received, interest from the industry remains high.

1.4 Officers consider much of the area in question to have few problems relating to access or to be particularly vulnerable to damage during the fishing process.

1.5 Officers will consult with Natural England and the local fishermen’s associations should any proposal be received and act accordingly.

1.6 Given the ephemeral nature of stocks in this area Officers consider it important that they be able to respond to applications quickly to avoid missing valuable fishing opportunities and are therefore requesting delegated powers to authorise a suitable fishery.