First steps towards Welsh Crab and Lobster FMP

‘Nothing is ruled in, and nothing ruled out’ at the start of the process to develop a Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for crab and lobster in Welsh waters.

Wales is already unique among the four UK nations in having developed a series of regulations to manage its whelk fishery that command widespread support from the Welsh industry. The moves to develop an FMP for crab and lobster, which is being led by Seafish, plan to build on that.

Seafish will be working collaboratively with the Welsh crab and lobster industry to find out what challenges and opportunities exist for the fishery, and what stakeholders would like to see from management in the future.

This work will inform the development of the FMP, which is being developed by the Welsh government.

Seafish will be running in-person and online events to gather insights from stakeholders, including fishermen, processors, wholesalers, recreational shellfish fishers, non-fishing organisations and anyone else with an interest in Welsh crab and lobster fisheries.

Jim Evans of the Welsh Fishermen’s Association said: “Getting Welsh fishermen involved at an early stage of the FMP development process is essential to ensuring the appropriate management measures are considered that ensure the long-term sustainability of these fisheries, which are the mainstay for many coastal communities in Wales.

“The Seafish project, commissioned by the Welsh government, will be a great way for stakeholders to share their views and begin shaping the future of crab and lobster fisheries in the Welsh zone, which are so important to so many people.”

The Welsh FMP, one of 43 planned across the UK, as set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement agreed by all four UK fisheries ministers, follows the publication by Defra of the draft Crab and Lobster FMP for English waters in December 2023.

Whilst some management measures across the UK are similar, having separate FMPs for England and Wales will allow regional differences to be accounted for. The Welsh Crab and Lobster FMP is due for publication in 2026, and will cover brown crab, European lobster, velvet crab, spider crab, crawfish and the common prawn, a small, successful and unique Welsh fishery.

Holly Kaiser, a fisheries analyst at Seafish who is supporting the development of the Welsh FMP, said: “Seafish needs your help and expertise to build understanding of the challenges facing crab and lobster fisheries and the potential management options that could be adopted in the future.

“Wales may be a small sector within the wider UK crab and lobster industry, but it is by no means the least important. We want to hear from anyone with an interest in the fishery. These events will offer you the opportunity to positively influence the direction of your fishery.”

Lewis Tattersall, head of fisheries management at Seafish, said: “Part of Seafish’s work on this project is to understand how well existing management measures are working for crab and lobster in Welsh waters. We want to use this information to explore how stakeholders feel their fisheries should be managed in the future.”

MMO Statistics: Welsh crab and lobster in numbers

– 169 Vessels involved in the Welsh crab and lobster fishery, out of 232 registered fishing vessels in Wales

– 473 Tonnes of crab and lobster landed into Welsh ports in 2022

– £3,146,000 Value of crab and lobster landed into Welsh ports in 2022

Port events this month

Seafish will be running a series of in-person workshops along the Welsh coast this month:

23 April, Milford Haven Torch Theatre (Gallery), 6pm-8pm
24 April, New Quay Yacht Club, 6pm-8pm
25 April, Bangor University Management Centre, 6pm-8pm
30 April, online event, 3pm-5pm – contact Seafish for a meeting link.

No need to fear lengthy lectures! The events will take a workshop format, and are focused on hearing from you.

If you are interested in attending the engagement events, or in other ways to get involved in the pre-consultation, contact project lead Holly Kaiser at: holly.kaiser@seafish.co.uk

This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.

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Main image credit: Carl Davies