Statutory guidance

Shellfish production area assessments

Published 27 December 2017

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

We assess and classify a production or relaying area based on the outcome of a sanitary survey.

A new shellfish production area or relaying area cannot be classified until an assessment of the sources of pollution has been carried out. This includes an assessment of the sources of contamination (humans, wildlife and agriculture) in production or relaying areas.

Quantities of organic pollutants released into shellfish production areas can vary at different times of the year, so assessments consider seasonal variance.

This can include:

• rainfall readings
• discharges from waste-water treatment works
• seasonal variations of human and animal populations

Circulation in the water affects how pollutants move around, depending on:

• current patterns
• bathymetry
• tidal cycles

1. Sanitary surveys

Shellfish production and relay areas are affected by multiple sources of pollution. All new shellfish production and relay areas include:

• an assessment of the sources of pollution
• an identified monitoring point for routine sampling (RMP), located at the point likely to demonstrate highest E. coli presence and is therefore most protective of public health
• a sampling plan specifying the location and frequency of routine monitoring samples

Applicants (the harvester) should complete an application form in conjunction with the Local Authority, to request the classification of a new shellfish production or relay area. This provides the initial information for consideration of a sanitary survey. More information on the application process (including requirements before classification) and the application form can be downloaded from the Shellfish classification page.

After your shellfish classification application has been accepted, we will ask our contractor to carry out a sanitary survey. Official control samples collected in accordance with the sampling plan will be needed before an area is classified.

In certain cases, new areas will also require a physical assessment of the site and potential sources of contamination. This is known as a shoreline survey. 

2. Survey Reports and Monitoring Assessments

The most recent sanitary survey and sanitary survey review reports can be found in the following section: 

3. England

3.1 Bigbury and Avon

View Bigbury and Avon Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (3.98 MB)

3.2 Blakeney

View Blakeney Sanitary Survey - 2021 as PDF (2.76 MB)

3.3 Brancaster

View Brancaster Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (5.62 MB)

3.4 Brixham

View Brixham Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (4.04 MB)

3.5 Butley

View Butley Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (3.48 MB)

3.6 Camel Estuary

View Camel Estuary Sanitary Survey as PDF (2.73 MB)

3.7 Chichester Harbour

View Chichester Harbour Sanitary Survey 2021 as PDF (3.15 MB)

3.8 Colne

View Colne Sanitary Survey 2021 as PDF (4.22 MB)

3.9 Dart

View Dart Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (3.42 MB)

3.10 Exe

View Exe Sanitary Survey 2021 as PDF (3.23 MB)

3.11 Fal

View Fal Sanitary Survey 2021 as PDF (5.15 MB)

3.12 Helford

View Helford Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (12.52 MB)

3.13 Holy Island

View Holy Island Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (3.95 MB)

3.14 Langstone Harbour

View Langstone Harbour Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (6.07 MB)

3.15 Liverpool Bay

View Liverpool Bay Sanitary Survey 2022 as PDF (3.38 MB)

3.16 Lune

View Lune Sanitary Survey 2022 as PDF (2.67 MB)

3.17 Lyme Bay

View Lyme Bay Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (2.79 MB)

3.18 Mevagissey Bay

View Mevagissey Bay Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (4.17 MB)

3.19 Morecambe Bay and Duddon

View Morecambe Bay and Duddon Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (5.69 MB)

3.20 North Kent Coast

View North Kent Coast Sanitary Survey 2021 as PDF (4.16 MB)

3.21 Poole Harbour

View Poole Harbour Sanitary Survey 2022 as PDF (5.69 MB)

3.22 Porthallow Cove

View Porthallow Cove Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (2.55 MB)

3.23 Porlock

View Porlock Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (6.1 MB)

3.24 Portland Harbour

View Portland Harbour Sanitary Survey 2021 as PDF (1.61 MB)

3.25 River Crouch

View River Crouch Sanitary Survey 2022 as PDF (3.61 MB)

3.26 Southampton Water

View Southampton Water Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (7.22 MB)

3.27 St Austell Bay

View St Austell Bay Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (4.81 MB)

3.28 Start Bay

View Start Bay Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (2.93 MB)

3.29 The Fleet

View The Fleet Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (3.76 MB)

3.30 Walton Backwaters

View Walton Backwaters Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (3.34 MB)

3.31 West Mersea

View West Mersea Sanitary Survey May 2021 as PDF (4.92 MB)

3.32 The Wash

View The Wash Sanitary Survey June 2021 as PDF (5.46 MB)

4. Wales

4.1 Anglesey

View Anglesey Sanitary Survey 2020 as PDF (1.78 MB)

4.2 Burry Inlet

View Burry Inlet - Sanitary Survey 2021 as PDF (3.99 MB)

4.3 Car Y Mor

View Car Y Mor Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (2.28 MB)

4.4 Conwy

View Conwy Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (4.14 MB)

4.5 Dee

View Dee Sanitary Survey 2022 as PDF (3.73 MB)

4.6 Menai East and West

View Menai East and West Sanitary Survey 2025 as PDF (8.6 MB)

4.7 Milford Haven

View Milford Haven Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (2.29 MB)

4.8 Swansea Bay

View Swansea Bay Sanitary Survey 2023 as PDF (9.51 MB)

4.9 Three Rivers

View Three Rivers Sanitary Survey 2024 as PDF (4.57 MB)

5. Northern Ireland

5.1 Belfast Lough

View Belfast Lough 2008 Sanitary Survey as PDF (3.45 MB)

View Belfast Lough 2014 Sanitary Survey as PDF (9.75 MB)

5.2 Carlingford Lough

View Carlingford Lough 2011 Sanitary Survey as PDF (9.21 MB)

View Carlingford Lough 2021 Sanitary Survey as PDF (11.01 MB)

5.3 Dundrum Bay

View Dundrum Bay 2012 Sanitary Survey as PDF (6.19 MB)

View Dundrum Bay 2018 Sanitary Survey as PDF (1.51 MB)

5.4 Killough Harbour

View Killough Harbour 2012 Sanitary Survey as PDF (4.73 MB)

View Killough Harbour 2021 Sanitary Survey as PDF (2.99 MB)

5.5 Larne Lough

View Larne Lough 2015 Sanitary Survey as PDF (8.79 MB)

View Larne Lough 2025 Sanitary Review as PDF (8.16 MB)

5.6 Lough Foyle

View Lough Foyle 2010 Sanitary Survey as PDF (9.61 MB)

View Lough Foyle 2022 Sanitary Survey as PDF(12.61 MB)

View Lough Foyle 2025 Sanitary Survey Review (Revised) as PDF (22.15 MB)

5.7 Paddy’s Point

View Paddy’s Point Sanitary Survey as PDF

5.8 Strangford Lough

View Strangford Lough 2011 Sanitary Survey as PDF(9.24 MB)

View Strangford Lough 2021 Sanitary Survey as PDF(8.57 MB)

6. Accessible format requests for England and Wales

Accessible versions of the sanitary survey reports for production and relaying areas are available on request via email:

• in England: shellfish@food.gov.uk
• in Wales: shellfish.wales@food.gov.uk

7. Important: EU references in Food Standards Agency guidance documents

Directly applicable EU legislation no longer applies in GB. EU legislation retained when the UK exited the EU became assimilated law on 1 January 2024, published on legislation.gov.uk. References to any legislation in FSA guidance with ‘EU’ or ‘EC’ in the title (e.g. Regulation (EC) 178/2002) should now be regarded as assimilated law where applicable to GB. References to ‘Retained EU Law’ or ‘REUL’ should now be regarded as references to assimilated law. 

For businesses moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, information on the Windsor Framework is available on GOV.UK. 

The Windsor Framework was adopted by the UK and EU on 24 March 2023. The Framework provides a unique set of arrangements to support the flow of agrifood retail products from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI), allowing GB standards for public health in relation to food, marketing and organics to apply for pre-packed retail goods moved via the NI Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS).