Intertidal hand gathering of shellfish in Northern Ireland: A call for evidence

Summary

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs have launched a public consultation and welcomes your views on the development of management measures for intertidal hand-gathering of shellfish in Northern Ireland. Intertidal hand gathering of shellfish is currently unregulated by DAERA and as a result, the Department holds limited information on the commercial scale of this fishery. DAERA has a duty to manage fishing within sustainable limits and ensure that it does not have detrimental impacts on marine protected areas (MPAs) and protected habitats and species. The aim of the consultation is to add to the limited information held by DAERA and improve the evidence base, allowing the Department to make better informed decisions when finalising the management measures.