Fisherman Trevor Owen says it will be years before the bay recovers

The North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee (NWNWSFC) is introducing the restrictions to give beds in the region time to recover.

The closed season will be for the district from Cumbria down to mid-Wales from 1 May until the end of August.

Meanwhile, the bed at Middleton sands near Heysham in Morecambe Bay was reopened for cockling on Monday.

The bed, which was closed last year, could stay open for up to two months.

Cockle fisherman Trevor Owen said that beds in the area have been devastated due to extensive fishing.

The bed at Middleton sands has been reopened for cockling

"I would say it will be 15 to 20 years before Morecambe Bay recovers," he said.

"All Morecambe Bay is virtually worked out - there's nothing left in parts."

Stephen Atkins, chief executive of the NWNWSFC, said the introduction of the closed season will help to keep stocks sustainable.

"It's a recognition that the industry has changed and that you can't allow intensive fishing all year round and expect the stocks to survive," he said.

"So we have picked up the period May to September as a maximum growth period when new stocks of cockle settle on the sands."