A WELCOME boost to the struggling Teign shellfish industry was announced this week, with the news of a £200,000 grant to investigate water quality in the estuary and to aid the regeneration of the shellfisheries.

More than 300,000 euros has been awarded from European funds to the Teign Estuary Partnership as part of a new joint project called Cycleau that will work with similar areas in the south west, and in France and Ireland.

With a local working title of Water Good Enough to Eat, the work on the Teign will focus on water quality in the entire catchment area, from Dartmoor to the mouth of the estuary.

It was concern over water quality that led to the virtual closure of the fishery in the late 1990s.

Last month Teignbridge MP Richard Younger-Ross got Elliott Morley, then the fisheries minister, to agree to consider better and simpler water-testing methods, similar to those used in France and the Netherlands.

Part of the brief for the Cycleau project is to examine the differences between testing methods, and to find out whether the best of those used by the French and Irish have any benefits to public health and investment in local industries.

Phillip Gibbon, spokesman for the partnership's water quality and fisheries focus group, said: 'This is something that has been called for nationally by fisheries' groups, and it is a huge laurel that it is happening here on the Teign.'

The news of the award comes just after the optimistic findings of a recent independent shellfisheries' report for the partnership in conjunction with the Devon Sea Fisheries Committee and the Devon Grants Funds.

Graeme Smith, Teign Estuary officer, said: 'This award from the European Regional Development Fund will enable us to assist the local fishery to rebuild capacity and markets, as well as help level the playing fields between continental and UK producers.

'Ultimately knowing more about water quality, and having a more reactive method of testing this common resource, will benefit not only those in the shellfish industries but also everyone who uses the water for sport or beaches for relaxation.

'This is the second time the partnership has been successful at attracting European money into the area, and we are looking forward to the whole Cycleau project.'