5. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the Gower cockle industry? OAQ(5)0154(ERA)

Diolch. The Gower cockle industry is an important fishery, which is why Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales funded the study into the mortality issues. The recent announcement on the cockle research programme across Atlantic states will help us to understand and further develop the science and issues relating to the cockle mortality.

Thank you for that response, but, although I welcome any efforts to try and establish the cause of cockle mortality in the area, you will be aware that the local cockle pickers and processors on Gower have declared that they have lost confidence in NRW to get to the root of the problem. The saga, as you know—certainly, we’re aware of this on the Gower peninsula—has dragged on for many years now, and we need solutions for this ancient, traditional industry. They didn’t get the necessary answers in a study conducted in 2012. Why should they have more confidence this time?

Thank you. Well, this is an issue that certainly has been on my desk over the past year. I’ve had meetings with Lee Waters and Rebecca Evans and Bethan Jenkins around this. You’re right: the report, when it was published in 2012, couldn’t identify a single, clear cause of the increased mortality, but it did identify a small number of potential factors. Those included overcrowding, parasites, and loss of condition in the cockles post spawning. I think it’s really important that we look at this new research that’s currently being undertaken, and NRW are part of that. If you have anything specific that you’d like to write to me on, I’d be very keen to see.

Good afternoon, Cabinet Secretary. Natural Resources Wales, of course, have said that this new study is to try and deal with unanswered questions from the 2012 study. When I asked the First Minister about cockle deaths back in February, he said that investigations into cockle mortality in the Burry Inlet were continuing and that a progress review of Welsh Government’s investigation would be released by Natural Resources Wales when complete. Can you explain to me where that progress review fits into what looks like a new study? How does one inform the other? It’s a question, essentially, to make sure that we’re not duplicating any expenditure here, particularly as we’re looking at unanswered questions rather than repeating studies into answered questions.

Well, I haven’t received a recent report from NRW, but I’m certainly happy to ask them what work they’ve got and if they’ve got a report that can be shared with Members in relation to that. This new research, the Atlantic area cockles research, is a major funding programme. I think it’s €3.5 million, if I remember rightly. So, like you, I’d be very upset if there was money being spent in two ways, but I’ll certainly clarify that for Suzy Davies.

Lee Waters. Caroline Jones.

Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, cockles have been harvested off the Gower coast since Roman occupation. Yet, over the last decade, there’s been significant die-off of the cockle beds every year. I welcome the new study, which will, hopefully, address the shortcomings of the 2012 study. Cabinet Secretary, what more can your Government do to ensure that the Penclawdd cockle remains the best in the world and available for generations to come?

Well, the Member will have heard my answer to Dai Lloyd’s initial question. I think that’s why it’s important that we do keep taking forward research so that we get that scientific evidence. You will have heard me say that we need to look at the reasons for the increase in cockle mortality. One of the other things that I did pick up from NRW was that water quality wasn’t a factor, so we need to find out what is causing this. As I mentioned, no single clear cause was identified back in the 2012 study.