MORECAMBE’S cockle beds are to remain closed for at least another two months.

The North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee says the beds have not recovered from the invasion of more than 100 outside cocklers over winter.

From last November until the beds were closed in March, cocklers from as far as North Wales and Scotland were picking up to 50 tons a day from the beds.

The intensive fishing saw stocks deplete and the remaining cockles were small.

It was agreed in May that the beds should stay closed for at least another two months - and at its latest meeting last week, the committee decided to review the situation again in September.

Chief executive Jim Andrews says there are still a lot of undersized cockles and those near the access area must be given ‘the best start in life’.

He admits it is unusual to close the beds, but says members of the committee felt they had no option because of the current interest and potential pressure on the Morecambe beds.

He said that, with the big cockling boat currently operating on the far side of the Bay at Aldingham, it was likely the Morecambe beds would attract outside interest and come under renewed pressure as soon as they were open.

“We need to give the local beds more time to recover and the longer we leave it, the larger the cockles will be,” he says.