Crab & Lobster
The South West Crab and Lobster improvement project began in 2017 and ended in April 2023.
Over the six years of the project, 64 Steering Group members collaborated and contributed their expertise, representing 37 different businesses and organisations in the UK and EU.
Despite the FIP ending, there remains a strong interest in continuous improvements and implementing appropriate management measures in this fishery to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Summary
The FIP focused on a number of key areas: enhancing knowledge of ETP species, engaging industry stakeholders, and exploring risks such as ghost gear and marine megafauna entanglement.
Key achievements included commissioning a review of fishery interactions with ETP species, organising Crab Management Workshops for industry input, and conducting risk assessments on potting gear and abandoned fishing gear. Our efforts concluded with a formal contribution to the crab and lobster Fisheries Management Plan (FMP), published in 2023. Whilst a lot of progress has been made, further work is needed to move this fishery towards MSC certification in the future.
Next steps
Following the FIP finishing in April 2023, the final review indicated that while the fishery would not be expected to fail an MSC assessment in any one specific area, more improvements are needed on management measures to ensure an overall pass.
Several objectives are detailed in the English crab and lobster FMP, which, if implemented, could meet the FIP’s remaining actions to deliver a sustainable fishery. The south west crab and lobster FIP is being considered for incorporation into the activties of the South West Seafood Sustainability Hub. The Hub has been established to improve and deliver validated sustainable fisheries i.e. validation through MSC certification around the South West of England.
A key proposal of the FMP was to pilot finer-scale management approaches for brown crab and lobster in certain areas to deliver effective fishery management. Priority areas included the South West, where locally appropriate input controls - controlling fishing activity, for example, through pot limits or days at sea - could be tested.
For a full list of the remaining actions, milestones, and MSC scoring indicators, please see the Year 6 Annual Review by Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management.
The crab & lobster FIP was supported by a dedicated steering group of experts representing a cross-sectoral range of stakeholder organisations.
Participants
Centre for Environmental & Fisheries Science (Cefas) • Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO) • Cornwall College • Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) • Direct Seafoods • Falfish • Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (Cornwall, Devon and Severn, Scilly Isles, Southern) • Labeyrie • Macduff • Marine Management Organisation • Morrisons • Natural England • North Devon Fishermens Association • Poseidon • Seafish • Seafood & Eat It • South Devon and Channel Fishermen • The Blue Sea Food Co • The Real Cornish Crab Company Ltd • Waterdance • W Harvey & Sons • WWF
Resources
Research and Outputs
FIP Steering Group Meeting Minutes
2023
2022
2021
06/21 Fishery Progress: Three Year Review
2021 Mitigation between crab and lobster fishing gear and ETP species in South Western Waters (Beshlie Pool, South Devon & Channel Shellfishermen Ltd)
19/01/21 Minutes: Principle 1 and 3 Meeting.
26/01/21 Minutes: Principle 2 and harvest strategy Meeting
24/06/21 Minutes: Steering Group Meeting
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Minutes: Steering Group Meeting
Photos by ©South Devon and Channel Shellfishermen (Image 1) and ©Sam Dell (Images 2 & 3)
