Response 607294282

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Brown crab - Minimum Landing Size

Q1. Do you support increasing the minimum landing size for brown crab to 150 mm carapace width?

Please select one item
Yes
No

Q2. Are there any areas of the coast that you think should be excluded from an MLS increase for brown crab, and if so why?

Comments
No

Velvet crab - Minimum landing Size

Q3. Do you support increasing the minimum landing size for velvet crab to 70 mm carapace width?

Please select one item
Yes
No

Q4. Are there any areas of the coast that you think should be excluded from an MLS increase for velvet crab, and if so why?

Comments
No

Velvet crab - Berried velvet crab

Q5. Do you support prohibiting the landing of berried velvet crab?

Please select one item
Yes
No

Q6. Are there any areas of the coast that you think should be excluded from a prohibition on landing berried velvet crab, and if so why?

Comments
No

Lobster - Minimum Landing Size

Q7. Do you support increasing the minimum landing size for lobster to 90 mm carapace length?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Comments
This will ensure that a larger number of lobsters reach maturity before being taken.

Q8. Are there any areas of the coast that you think should be excluded from an MLS increase for lobster, and if so why?

Comments
No

Q9. If you support an MLS increase, how would you prefer to see it introduced?

Please select one item
Immediate increase to 88 mm then to 90 mm one year thereafter
Other (please specify)
Comments
Immediate increase to 90mm.

Lobster - Maximum Landing Size

Q10. Do you support decreasing the maximum landing size for female lobster to 145 mm carapace length?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Comments
Larger lobsters do not necessarily carry correspondingly large numbers of eggs as the eggs are more vulnerable to physical damage and abrasion.
Large females are extremely aggressive and frequently kill smaller lobsters when confined in creels. I have seen a single v notched female kill 3 other smaller females in a single season. I doubt if the loss of 3 individuals in order to preserve one larger one is of any benefit to the fishery. Too many eggs in one basket !!
It is better to give more protection to younger individuals by increasing the MLS and remove large lobsters from the fishery.

Q12. Do you support introducing a maximum landing size for male lobster of 145 mm carapace length?

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Yes
No
Comments
It is extremely rare to find a mature female that is not either carrying eggs or internal roe which suggests that large male lobsters are not required to sustain the population.
We have very few in our area anyway either due to fishing effort or lack of suitable habitat.

Lobster - Crippled lobsters

Q14. Do you support prohibiting the landing of 'crippled' lobsters?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Comments
While the market place would be better without them the fact they have lost a claw would suggest that they are inferior to their competitors. The energy required to rebuild one or both claws can result in a reduction in overall size at the next moult and possibly infertility. In areas where the fishery is poor and suitable habitat may not be abundant it would be better to remove these individuals from the fishery to reduce competition with stronger and potentially healthier lobsters.

I believe an increase in minimum landing size will have more beneficial effect than any other measure.
FYI - I have been fishing for lobsters since the early 70s and have been involved in the past with the marine lab in Aberdeen keeping lobster tagging records around the Summer Isles.

Sale and carriage restrictions

Q16. Do you support the introduction of prohibitions on sale and carriage to match any landing prohibitions that are implemented on a uniform basis across the entire Scottish coast?

Please select one item
Yes
No