Dr. Cecil Beamish:

There is not a fixed timeline, because the legislation requires public and statutory consultation and any issues have to go back to advisers and to the parties involved. We cannot fix a timeline but have to work through the issues that arise. Some licence applications have between 2,000 and 3,000 objectors, which have to be worked through independently and assessed. It depends on the inputs during the licensing process. By and large, the aquaculture backlog is moving towards total resolution and will be resolved for all shellfish operators by the end of this year.