The regulating order aims to ensure sustainable cockling

The fishery - which should re-open within days - will be controlled by a licensing system run by the Solway Shellfish Management Association.

The Scottish Executive agreed the order to ensure the sustainability of cockle beds and protect marine habitats.

Six boats, one tractor and 100 hand-gatherers have been licensed to harvest the shellfish.

Cockle fishing was banned on the Scottish side of the estuary in 2002 to enable stocks to recover.

The re-opening has been welcomed by shellfish management association chairman Jock Purdie.

The initiative will result in enhanced jobs, sales and exports in one of the region's most important sectors Jim Smith Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway

"The granting of the regulating order is the culmination of a process which has spanned a long period in partnership with relevant stakeholders from both sides of the Solway Firth and more widely," he said.

"The key principles, which underlie the approach taken throughout, have been to develop a sustainable and viable fishery that will benefit the region for years to come while considering the needs of residents."

It is also seen as an economic boost to Dumfries and Galloway.

Jim Smith, of the local enterprise company, said: "The initiative will result in enhanced jobs, sales and exports in one of the region's most important sectors."

Conservationists in the area have called for the order to be closely checked as it is introduced.

"It is now vital that the fishery is properly managed and monitored to ensure that this sustainability is maintained in the future," said Chris Rollie, local area manager for the RSPB Scotland.