Big Change for Crawfish in the Southwest: Size Limit Inches Up!
MMO Raises Crawfish Minimum Size from 95mm to 110mm
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is cracking down to protect dwindling crawfish stocks in the southwest, especially in the ICES area 7. From January 1, 2024, the minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) for crawfish (Palinurus spp) jumps from 95mm to 110mm. That means only bigger crawfish can be caught and kept.
Fishers and Officials Team Up for Tough New Rules
This change comes hot on the heels of a co-design workshop involving fishers, government officials, and stakeholders. Together, they hammered out solutions to stop the overfishing crisis threatening crawfish survival.
“We must act quickly to prevent the fishery sliding into damaging ‘boom and bust’ patterns,” said Richard Hoskin, Head of Sustainable Fisheries at MMO.
Possible Seasonal Closures on the Table
Alongside the size limit hike, MMO is mulling a potential seasonal closure to further shield the stocks. Options include:
- No closure
- Full closure: December 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024 (maximum protection)
- Closure from January 1 to May 31, 2024 (allows the 1 market)
- Closure from January 1 to March 31, 2024 (syncs with French Brittany closure)
Any closure would ban all UK and EU vessels from retaining or landing crawfish during those months.
Protecting Crawfish for the Future
These fishery reforms are designed to balance economic interests with marine conservation, ensuring healthy crawfish populations for years to come. The MMO is consulting the public on seasonal closure proposals before finalising the plan.
The new rules show a bold step towards sustainable fishing and marine stewardship in UK waters.
