Wash Mussel Fishery 2024

The Authority managed cockle and mussel fisheries in The Wash under the Wash Fishery Order 1992 until its expiry on 3 January 2023. The Authority developed a byelaw to manage the fisheries, the Wash Cockle and Mussel Byelaw 2021, which is yet to come into effect. To enable cockle and mussel fisheries pending the confirmation of the byelaw, the Authority is managing the fisheries under interim management measures using Byelaw 8, with a closure of The Wash to cockle and mussel fishing and subsequent issuing of exemptions to provide access with conditions attached to ensure fishing is within acceptable environmental parameters.

Access to the fishery is restricted to those who had access under the Wash Fishery Order and in accordance with associated policies.

For more information about the transition from the Wash Fishery Order to the Wash Cockle and Mussel Byelaw, please click here.

Wash Mussel Re-laying Fishery 2024

The 2023 mussel stock assessment identified that the stocks were sufficient to enable a re-laying fishery i.e. the removal of juvenile mussels for the purpose of re-laying into private aquaculture areas.

Key management measures

Access to the fishery is restricted to those who had access under the Wash Fishery Order 1992 and in accordance with the associated policies.
The 2024 mussel re-laying fishery opened on 20 May 2024.
The fishery is open to both dredging and hand-working.
The Total allowable catch for the dredge fishery is 1,200 tonnes.
The Total Allowable Catch for the hand-work fishery is 300 tonnes.
The daily catch restriction is 8 tonnes per day.
It is prohibited to re-lay mussel from this fishery outside of the Wash and North Norfolk Coast Special Area of Conservation

The full set of management measures is available by clicking the link in the relevant information section below. This includes detailed technical measures (e.g. mussel dredge width restrictions) and coordinates and charts for closed areas and the Wash and North Norfolk Coast SAC.

Relevant information