AQW 30600/17-22


Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford


Tabled Date: 07/03/2022
Answered On Date: 27/03/2022
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of shellfish from Strangford Lough were exported from Northern Ireland, in each of the last five years.


Answer:
My Department records the landings of fish and shellfish from licensed fishing vessels and operates an additional restrictive permit scheme to manage the fishing effort in Strangford lough. In addition oysters and mussels are produced for human consumption at licensed aquaculture sites on the lough. Shellfish landings and shellfish aquaculture data for the past 5 years is set out below.
WEIGHT IN TONNES
YEAR
Prawns
Brown Crab
Velvet Crab
Oyster
Mussels
Lobster
2017
9.8
23.4
34.3
92.0
50.0
8.6
2018
10.4
29.6
42.8
105.0
50.0
7.1
2019
9.3
18.2
40.6
75.0
50.0
11.2
2020
12.0
21.2
40.2
140.0
50.0
7.1
2021
11.4
8.7
51.6
80.0
50.0
8.4
My Department does not currently regulate the intertidal hand gathering of shellfish and therefore does not have records for species such as periwinkles. Potential options for regulating intertidal hand gathering are being developed, including proposals requiring commercial gatherers to complete an activity log, which would include the weight of catch and harvesting location. I am currently considering these options.