Since 2001, a specific area in the Firth of Clyde has been closed to fishing each year for 11 weeks between 14th February and 30th April to protect spawning cod. The purpose of this closure is to protect cod from disturbance from fishing activity during spawning and promote recovery of the stock.

The closure has been implemented by every two years by a Scottish statutory instrument (SSI).

In comparison with earlier closures, which provided exemptions for Nephrops (langoustine) trawlers, creels and scallop dredgers, the closure provided for by the 2022 Order was smaller in size but removed all exemptions, meaning that fishing activity by any method was prohibited during the seasonal closure, in order to increase the protection for spawning cod.

The policy note for the 2026 order states that it “maintains the same protections afforded by the previous closure, prohibiting all fishing activity within two areas of the Firth of Clyde from 14 February until 30 April, for 2026, 2027 and 2028”. The policy note also states the area will be subject to a targeted scientific programme (TSP) which would be a “collaborative programme [which] will take place throughout the year” and would “pave the way for future management of this stock where the impact of all fishing sectors on cod mortality, as well as the distribution and dynamics of spawning and juvenile cod are better understood and used to inform adaptive management”

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