To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on his efforts to introduce a closed season for periwinkle harvesting.

Mr Muir

Earlier this year, my Department made regulations to introduce a closed season for periwinkle harvesting between January and April each year in the Northern Ireland intertidal area. There was significant support for that in a public consultation in 2022. It was disappointing that the regulations had to be subsequently revoked after the AERA Committee voted in opposition to them a few weeks before they would have come into operation. Strangford lough holds designations as a special area of conservation and a marine conservation zone. An Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) report on periwinkles in Strangford lough was published in 2022. It recommended a closed season from January to April to protect spawning stocks of periwinkles in Strangford lough. I have asked my officials to bring forward a statutory rule (SR) for a closed season for the gathering of periwinkles in Strangford lough based on the recommendations in that report. My Department remains committed to meeting its environmental obligations and promoting the long-term sustainability of our fisheries and will take timely and proportionate action, where that is necessary, to protect marine resources.

Mr Muir

It is my intention to introduce a closed season for periwinkle harvesting for Strangford lough by the end of the mandate. I will seek the support of the Committee and, if necessary, the Chamber for that. It is important that we respect the designations that are placed on Strangford lough and that we protect important habitats, features and species. The AFBI report sets out clearly the recommendations in that regard, and it is important that we regulate the issue and introduce the closed season. I look forward to the support of my colleagues in that regard.

Miss McIlveen

The Northern Ireland fishing industry is in crisis and, in its own words, facing a "perfect storm", with rising fuel costs, reduced fishing opportunities, restrictions that have been enforced by the Isle of Man Government and issues with foreign workers' visas. Sadly, many rely on gathering periwinkles, especially during bad weather, to supplement their income. Will the Minister stand up for the fishing industry and take account of the impact that such policies will have on the sector?

Mr Muir

I am conscious of the pressures that our fishing industry faces. That is why I travelled to the Isle of Man to make representations on the specific issue that the Member outlined. The Secretary of State and I engaged on the pressures, particularly those regarding fuel and the migration policy that the UK Government are implementing. I will continue to explore what is possible within Northern Ireland's limited budget, but I recognise those issues, and there will be significant engagement. On the issue at hand — the closed season for periwinkle harvesting — it is important that we respect the science and protect our environment. That is what I seek to do in a proportionate manner.

Mr Butler

In his answer to the tabled question, it seemed that the Minister was apportioning blame to the Committee for not passing the SR in the limited time that we had. Minister, do you accept that, in reality, the AFBI report and science relate to Strangford lough? That is what the evidence relates to. You wanted to put a ban on periwinkle gathering across the shores, up the eastern seaboard of Northern Ireland, when, in fact, the science tells us that, due to global warming, the water is getting warmer and the periwinkles are moving north.

Mr Muir

A few weeks before it was due to come into place, the Committee expressed a position that it wanted to annul the regulations. I was conscious of the decision that the Committee took. I was also conscious of the fact that, in seeking to introduce it more widely than Strangford lough, we were seeking to address the concerns regarding displacement. I am trying to find a way forward that protects Strangford lough, respects the science and protects our environment. That is why I will seek your support on that. I am happy to meet the Committee in due course, as are officials, to discuss the matter further.