To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on the closed season for periwinkle harvesting in Strangford Lough.

I am bringing forward a Statutory Rule to introduce a closed season each year within Strangford Lough, during which the taking of periwinkles by any means from January to April inclusive, would be prohibited.

The purpose of this Statutory Rule is to conserve periwinkle populations by prohibiting their harvesting during the peak spawning season. In March 2022 the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) published “Strangford Lough Periwinkle Study” which recommended a closed season during the months of January to April to best protect the spawning stock.

In 2022 a public consultation outlined a range of potential management measures to protect intertidal shellfish stocks from unsustainable exploitation and to provide protection for any habitats and species that could be damaged or disturbed by intertidal shellfish gathering.

The purpose of the proposed closure season is to balance environmental protection and the economic needs of harvesters and processors who rely on the periwinkle resources each season in the Lough.

I have submitted a draft of a Statutory Rule and Explanatory Memorandum, with an SL1 to the AERA Committee to enable it to carry out its scrutiny function in accordance with the Guidance on Delegated Legislation and Submitting Proposals.