Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) protect and (b) police the shell fisheries industry in the Wash area.

The shellfisheries in the Wash are managed by the Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) through a combination of the Wash Fishery Order 1992 Regulations and local IFCA Byelaws. This includes the introduction of closed seasons, gear restriction and the use of permits to control access to certain fisheries. This is in addition to EU and UK regulations. The IFCA officers also work closely with Marine Management Organisation officers on enforcement operations within the Wash area.