Very interesting stuff, just had a quick look online & apparently spiny lobsters are intolerant to any kind of fishing pressure, in places like Southwest England & Brittany it's taken 40 years for them to become established again after being fished out in the 60's & 70's, they reach maturity at 80-100 mm carapace size & can reach 60 cm in total length. Now that they are re-establishing themselves they should definitely be looked after in case we lose them again, it's great that you are informing & educating us with these videos & also that you make the welfare of your quarry a priority, the oceans would be in a better state if there were more fishermen like you!!
I have had them to over 8lb. The first 12 I caught over years, the smallest was 4lb. This is the first time I have seen such small ones and realized how crazy the size limit is, all for a bit of meat a bit bigger than a large prawn when minimum size. They could easily secure their future with a larger size limit which would make little difference to the fishermen with the crays having such little weight on them. It would help the cray and the fisherman long term
- They are really interesting looking creatures aren’t they. I’ve never had one in the pots but I’ve seen many caught in nets. Great video as usual mate. 👍🏻🎣🦞
Yes that's the problem nets, unlike the blue lobster these travel in groups and will often be out in the open, nets can wipe out whole colony's that's why netting for them here is illegal . They used to be very common
Great content once again Troj, I wholly agree with you on spiny size, it's madness, but I've eaten tiny bass and flat fish etc. on the continent so the rules are being broken everywhere sadly.
Hi troj here in Ireland the cray size is 110 mm from between eyes to where here head meets tail and it’s a good size cray , in Brittany I believe it’s the same as Ireland,the crays have made a big come back here
Well don mate its nice to see someone with a bit of brain and not just driven by greed, i am only a pleasure angler fresh water now and again but if i was like yourself i would offer you all my support because you are thinking of future generations of fishermen if you know it or not ; love your videos keep them coming and if you ever start a project to save these creatures i would sign or do what ever i could to back you.
I think a lot of fishermen here are starting to see things need to change to ensure a solid fish population. Unfortunately we are just small fish in a big pond compared to some of giant fishing fleets.
Troy i applaud you, you fish for profit, it pays your expenses, can you approach the authorities with a size limit say 30cm. Sadly as you said there are people who will take at minimum size, i would imagine that the restaurants will pay big money for them, ''who cares, making money, '' when you mentioned people identifying where they are, 5 in one pot there must be a few in that area, i have watched you on google sat, your car in the carpark, the dinghy on the outer mooring and you fishing near the lighthouse. Simple if you try, Great vid, keep trying, someone must listen, just like the bass limit, only increased when the commercials weren't making any more money, tight lines, hope the weather improves soon. Mark
Troj like you im sure most fishermen put them back but in most cases the weekend people out for fun will keep then. Its a case of greed and not need. Another great video. Stay safe.
I know a lot do put them back even large commercials but there are those who will take anything that fits the gauge. Having a larger size limit would benefit the cray and all of us.
Great message mate! I've seen a few, I don't take them but I sometimes try to get a rough carapace measurement, do you keep records of this sort of thing? I'm in the process of putting together an educational video using my background in biological science. They have been making a big resurgence recently. Apparently they have re-established as a result of larvae travelling in suspension amongst the current from successful areas to new grounds. Larvae can travel suspended for up to 150 days so could travel across the channel. The parents of the small crawfish could be in a completely different area. Carapace size is recommended to be 100mm for sustainability. I think Sark has full protection for these species? It's not just minimum sizes, you'll need a healthy population of adults in order to get a sustainable fishery. I've spoken to commercials about crawfish and they are excited as they see it as 'a chance to make some profit' and I've spoken to recreational divers who have taken them but they don't understand anything about them. Videos like yours are great for raising awareness, keep up the good work and hopefully you'll get a change.
I dont keep detailed data only a log of fish taken. I have caught 20 this size this year but all in one exact spot nowhere else. I usually see on average only 1 a year. Sark does have full protection at the moment If we bring minimum size to a decent adult size problem solved we all benefit.
@@Trojwaterman Yeah these populations have been increasing a lot already so if they're allowed to reach maturity that would definitely help with sustainability
Here in Western Australia the minimum legal limit is 76mm from between the horns to the back of the carapace and the fines are very heavy if you get caught with under size crays ,,so you just do not take the risk ,although some do.
They really need to get some of the size limits up here to give sealife a chance give them a good few seasons breeding then fishermen and sealife would both benifit
Who sets the size limits on Guernsey? Is it Europe, or the UK? Maybe they need a poke in the side with a sharp stick a bit more to get them passed the 'discussion' stage..!
Be interesting to find out where the reasoning behind a lot of the size limits come from because many seem to have no relevance to what is needed to provide a decent feed or even worse, maturity to breed.
Think most of them probably put in place a long time ago before they new a lot about the sea-life they were supposed to protect. Now just left or adjusted by a very small amount not to upset the share holders and investors of large industrial fishing.
Interesting video, never realised you had crayfish in UK waters, thought it was just lobster, in Western Australia the crayfish industry is worth $5 Billion dollars annually, highly regulated by government, legal size (carapace length) is between 76mm and 95 mm depending on species. 95% goes to China...
Unfortunately over fishing almost wiped out the crayfish here, there used to be so many. Size limit here is 23 cm full length but they have not recovered in over 50 years. Netting and diving for them is banned here but still goes on even if its not legal. They need to get the size limits up so at least they can breed longer.
Here is some information regarding European Spiny Lobster- www.nature.scot/plants-animals-and-fungi/invertebrates/marine-invertebrates/european-spiny-lobster . Apparently, they can grow up to 60cm. Are there like-minded fishermen sharing your concerns who could form a Group & lobby Politicians etc to review & increase the Legal size? As usual, I enjoyed your video. Good luck
Yes these things get huge if given a chance. I think sizes are being discussed now probably due to the drop in brown crab. If anything is done is another thing they will probably put a ban on shore fishing again and call it a day LOL.
far play to you . shame there is not more done . iv courght plenty over the years all over 5lb plus rules should be changed for sure . im over in a weeks time il have a drive down your way if i see you il say hi
Eyup Troj. For the life of me I can't find a source for the size limit of 230mm total length but you might find this research interesting academic.oup.com/jcb/article/26/4/601/2664327 as it throws some light on the rationale for a size limit that I must confess looks as bonkers to me as it does to you. It seems having a size limit that leaves (sort of) mature females around that can probably carry eggs isn't as good for the conservation of a vulnerable species as having sensible fishermen on the case. Cheers fella, Dave
By the looks of it you'd need 10-15 to get a decent meal out of them like a suppose a languastine absolutely mad how will we have these for the future with the law as it is
