1.1 At the Joint Committee meeting in June 2009, it was reported that cockle stocks in Morecambe Bay appeared to be at a very low level. It was agreed that all of the Morecambe Bay beds should remain closed until 30^th September 2009, pending full survey results, and that the closure should be reviewed at the September Joint Committee meeting.

2.1 A series of cockle stock surveys, covering most of the main Morecambe Bay beds, has been scheduled during June to August, timed so that work experience placements from Blackpool & The Fylde College can be utilised to assist with the field surveys and sample analysis.

2.2 At the time of writing, the fieldwork has been completed for the Pilling Sands, Middleton Sands and Flookburgh beds, although only the Flookburgh data has been fully worked up. Results for Warton Sands and the Rampside to Bardsea area will be complete before the end of August. A survey of the Leven Island area, however, will not be practicable until mid September, after the Joint Committee meeting.

2.3 The results for Flookburgh were exceedingly disappointing. Mean adult densities (the number of cockles per square metre) for the last 6 years are shown in the table below:

2.4 It is obvious that adult cockle densities are at an extremely low level, well below the threshold density of 20/m², the level at which bed closure is recommended on biological grounds. A significant change from the 2008 survey results is that the 2006 year class no longer dominates the population: most adult cockles are now of the 2007 year class, which was a poor one. This loss of the 2006 cockles is to be expected, as cockles older than 3 years are quite rare in Morecambe Bay. Natural mortality has normally claimed much of the population before this age is exceeded.

2.5 The only encouraging finding at Flookburgh is that spat cockles – the 2009 year class – were plentiful at many of the sampling stations. However, this observation must be tempered by the fact that there were considerable cockle spatfalls in both 2007 and 2008 on most of the beds, but relatively few survived beyond their first winter.

2.6 Although the results are not yet fully analysed, the cockle samples from the Pilling and Middleton Sands surveys have been aged and counted, and it is obvious that both of these beds also showed poor results. Neither these surveys, nor any inspections during this year of cockle beds elsewhere in the Bay, have found any areas where a biologically viable fishery could be supported.

2.7 A full report on the Morecambe Bay cockle beds (with the exception of Leven Island) will be prepared and circulated to all Members prior to the Joint Committee Meeting, so that a decision on whether to extend the closure of Morecambe Bay beyond 30^th September can be made at the meeting.