The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has made a Statutory Rule entitled "The Shellfish Gathering (Conservation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026", (S.R. 2026 No.1), which comes into operation on 6 February 2026.

The Rule prohibits the taking of periwinkles by any means from intertidal areas between 1st January and 30th April, inclusive, each year. The intertidal area defined as the region between the high-water mark and the low-water mark of ordinary spring tides.

The Rule may be purchased from the Stationery Office at www.tsoshop.co.uk or by contacting TSO Customer Services on 0333 202 5070, or can be viewed online at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/1/contents/made