Shellfish

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:09 pm on 18 November 2020.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:09, 18 November 2020

Well, shellfish are not bound by quotas, obviously, so that doesn't apply to the final comment. And my colleague Julie James raised this issue with me about three or four months ago, and the increase in minimum landing size does allow more whelk to reach breeding age and improves the sustainability of the whelk stocks. Whelks in Swansea bay are not a different species, but they are smaller in size, as growth appears to be suppressed, which, I'm told, is possibly as a result of higher water temperature in south Wales than north Wales, and I can certainly vouch for that difference in temperature. But, certainly, the affected area is relatively small, but I think we will keep the minimum landing size under review for this area.