INACTIVE UK Orkney brown crab - pot

The Orkney Crab fishery targets brown crab (Cancer pagarus) and is located where the North Sea and the North Atlantic Sea meet. There is approximately 1500 tons landed into Orkney in 2022. The fishing fleet is made up of small inshore vessels which are generally under 10m in length, and they tend to work as day vessels landing crab every day. The fishing tends to occur within 12 nautical miles from the coastline. The Orkney Crab fishery is regulated by licence conditions which are the vessels having a valid fishing licence which has shellfish entitlement. Licences are issued and regulated by the Scottish Government. The fishery is also regulated by Minimum Landing Sizes (MLS) which is 150mm CW and other technical measures which are regulated by the Scottish Government and through Marine Scotland Compliance. The fishing method for the target species is creels (pots/traps) and is considered a passive method of fishing. There is very little interaction with the fishery and vulnerable species or habitats. Scotland has a network of MPAs and SACs which protect the most vulnerable habitats from being disturbed by fishing activities. Orkney Crab has a code of practice for fishers which outline the high standard of fishing practices and quality of crab that is expected to be landed by the fishery. This also outlines who a fisher should contact if they should become entangled with marine mammals. Orkney Crab is in the process of establishing a sampling program for the fishery which will address the issues of data limitations which are currently an issue for the fishery. Marine Scotland Science are the current body who collect market sampling data, and this is used in their stock assessment. These stock assessments are published but they are not currently used to inform management decisions for the fishery. The Orkney Crab data will enhance this data set and over time allow for a local stock assessment to be done which could support management decisions at a local level. 

The local management body the Orkney RIFG is established and tasked with developing a regional management plan, this is inline with a regional marine special plan that is also in the process of being developed. The outputs of this FIP will be used to address the areas currently not meeting the standards. This will primarily through the development of a sampling program which will have an onshore market sampling component, an offshore sampling component and a crab tagging component. In addition to this Orkney crab will be looking to support areas in P3 where it currently does not meet the standard through engagement with the local RIFG and engagement with national consultations where appropriate.