Potting fisheries – informal consultation

Eastern IFCA is informally consulting on management of potting fisheries targeting crab, lobster and whelk.

There are three important aspects to the consultation:

• Development of sustainability measures for crab and lobster fisheries;
• Gathering evidence relating to the level of pot-based fishing effort within the Cromer Shoal Chalk Bed Marine Conservation Zone; and
• Reviewing the Whelk Permit Byelaw 2016.

Eastern IFCA has developed two questionnaires to gather the views of the industry which can be downloaded by clicking the links below.

Please note – you are not limited to filling out the questionnaire. We appreciate that the questionnaires are large and can be time consuming to complete.  We welcome anyone who wishes to contribute over the phone or in person to get in touch to ensure that we get as much feedback as possible. Using the information from the consultation, Eastern IFCA will develop management measures and aims to present these to the Authority in December 2019.

We intend to run this informal consultation until 1^st October 2019. Please submit completed questionnaires to Eastern IFCA at the following email or postal address:

• Email address: mail@eastern-ifca.gov.uk

 

• Postal address: Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, 6 North Lynn Business Village, Bergen Way, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2JG

Questionnaires

• Crab and lobster fishing questionnairee (please note – a summary document of potential management measures can be found here which may be helpful when completing section 5 of the questionnaire)
• Whelk Permit Byelaw review questionnaire

Crab and lobster management

Eastern IFCA’s assessments have indicated that the crab and lobster fisheries within the district require some form of management.  Eastern IFCA wishes to understand the views of the industry regarding these fisheries and to seek agreement on which management measures would be the most effective, drawing on the suggestions we have received from industry over the past few years.  A summary of these management measures and the strengths and weaknesses of each is can be found here.

In this way we would draw on the practical experience and knowledge of fishermen as well as our own scientific assessments to see how each measure effects the fishery.

Eastern IFCA is also investigating the impacts of potting on the Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds Marine Conservation Zone.  Further information is required and Eastern IFCA and Natural England are committed to working with industry to better understand any impacts which may be occurring and to ensure that any management decisions are appropriate.

To this end, we are also seeking information on levels of fishing activity within the site.

Whelk Permit Byelaw 2016 review

Eastern IFCA intends to review the wording of the Whelk Permit Byelaw 2016 generally to ensure that it is in line with the most up-to-date format for permit byelaws.  Eastern IFCA also intends to review the requirement to apply new whelk permit tags annually.

We do not intend to consult on the minimum landing size or the pot limitation at present.  These will be reviewed in 2020 and are both the subject of research projects.  Fishers will be consulted on these elements in due course.

Eastern IFCA intends to do this alongside the crab and lobster measures consultation given that most whelk fishers also target crab and lobster.  This will ensure a coordinated approach to considering both byelaws and make them more consistent, more transparent and clearer to industry.