Cocklers travelled great distances for the lifting of the ban

Around 300 fishermen turned out for the temporary lifting of the ban, the last this year.

Environment Agency officials said safety was much better observed by the cocklers than earlier this month.

Officials had worked to ensure that lifejackets were worn and boats were not overloaded as they had been before.

Cocklepicking had been suspended for two years on the Dee Estuary because of a decline in numbers of the shellfish.

Cocklers from as far away as Scotland and Poland travelled to north Wales for the first lifting of the ban on 13-14 July and left with a 600 tonne haul.

The fishermen and all those involved in the fishery need to take responsibility for their own safety and wellbeing Alan Winstone, Environment Agency Wales

The Salisbury Bank can only be reached by boat and after the earlier opening harbourmaster Captain Charles Allister raised safety concerns, claiming fishermen had overloaded their boats with shellfish to the point where some were barely floating.

But ahead of Thursday's opening the environment Agency's North Wales Coast Environment Manager Alan Winstone said they would be closely monitoring activity.

Ten of the agency's officers were at the bank.

"We are working with all the relevant enforcement agencies and the main cockle buyers to address these concerns," said Mr Winstone.

"We must urge all the fisherman to ensure that everyone involved in the cockle fishery sees their health and safety as a priority.

"The fishermen and all those involved in the fishery need to take responsibility for their own safety and wellbeing," he said.

Six hundred licences were issued for Thursday's harvesting but the agency confirmed there would be no further cockle fishing in the Dee Estuary this year.

The agency has applied to the Welsh Assembly Government and DEFRA for permission to introduce legislation to limit the number of licences to 50 and charge a fee for the permits.

Mr Winstone said this would be a way to create a "sustainable fishery which could open for much longer".

"It could provide a regular income for those 50 fishermen," he said.