Mussel Relaying Fishery 2024 Opening & Consultation

The 2024 Mussel Re-Laying Fishery will open at 00:01 on 20 May. The fishery will have a TAC of 1500 tonnes and be open to both hand-working and dredging, with 300 and 1200 tonnes available for each respectively. The TAC may be reviewed depending on uptake.

Mussels must be re-layed within the Wash and North Norfolk Coast SAC and must not be sold directly to market.

If you wish to partake in this fishery, please apply for an exemption. Follow this link for an application form.  Exemptions to participate in the fishery will be issued only to those who held a Wash Fishery Order ‘entitlement’ and in accordance with the current policies.

Please also see the links below for:

A summary of the management measures

Hand-work Exemption Conditions including charts of open areas

Dredge Exemption Conditions including charts of open areas

Consultation: Seal Haul-out areas

To mitigate against any possible visual disturbance during the sensitive pupping season, alternative open areas around Herring Hill, Scotsman’s Sled, Back of the Wall and Blackshore are proposed as coming into effect from 1 June until 31 August 2024 for the hand-worked fishery. These proposed areas can be found here.

We invite comments on the proposed seasonal closures to the hand-worked mussel re-laying fishery. Please send any commentary to us in writing by 24 May 2024.