What steps it has taken to enforce the prevention of cockle fishing by unlicensed operators in the Solway Firth.

The Scottish Executive has facilitateda multi-agency approach to the enforcement of the Solway Firth cockle fishery, involvingin particular the Solway Shellfish Management Association, Dumfries and GallowayConstabulary, the Health and Safety Executive, Dumfries and Galloway Council, theMarine and Coastguard Agency and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA).By taking such steps as sharing intelligence and communicating jointly the key messageson the fishery, this approach has allowed for more coordinated and effective enforcement.Using the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Billwe are also seeking to make provisions to allow the SFPA to deploy its powers inrespect of Regulating Orders and to improve the ability of grantees to enforce RegulatingOrders. Our intention is that these powers should be in force in time for the nextcockle fishing season in the Solway.