AN expansion of an offshore zone where pot-fishing for lobster and crab is prohibited has been put forward by the Environment Minister.
The proposal to double the size of the protected area at the Ecréhous is one of the measures by Marine Resources officials to help rebuild the Island’s lobster fishery in the face of dwindling yields over the past decade.
As part of the proposition lodged by Senator Mary Le Hegarat, reference is made to a steep fall in the weight of lobster landed by Jersey commercial fishing boats from 250,000 kilogrammes in 2015 to 50,000 kg last year.
The report accompanying the proposition notes that a prohibited zone for the use of specific pots was established at Les Minquiers in 2007 and had been “generally agreed” to have been of benefit. A similar scheme was introduced at the Ecréhous in 2018, and is now set to be expanded, should States Members be supportive.
“Potting for lobster and crab is the mainstay of the majority of the Jersey commercial fishing fleet as well as for several French vessels that fish, under licence, in Jersey waters,” the proposition states. “It is therefore vital that the resource is managed properly both to ensure that stocks are not overfished and so that those whose livelihoods depend on it are secure.”
Measures to manage the decline were delayed as a result of “Covid and Brexit workloads”, the report notes, but is now being progressed after discussions with industry representatives from both Jersey and France.
Earlier this week, the States Assembly supported a related move by the minister to increase the minimum landing size for lobster to 90 millimetres, completing a three-phase rise from the 2024 figure of 87 mm.
