An order banning crab fishing off the south and south-west coast of Ireland has now been lifted, after the Irish government secured a ‘swap of effort’ with France.

The Department Agriculture, Food and the Marine ordered an immediate closure of edible (brown) crab and spider crab fisheries inside of the Biologically Sensitive Area on November 11th; the order was lifted on November 15th.

A statement from the Department noted that neither of these species are under quota, but nevertheless there is a limit on the amount of ‘fishing effort’ that can be used. To that end, fishing by vessels over 10 metres in the Biologically Sensitive Area is capped.

‘This Regulation sets out a limit in the form of “kilowatt days” on the fishing effort member States can employ annually to catch brown crab and spider crab in the BSA’.

‘Ireland’s maximum effort in respect of edible (brown) crab and spider crab in the BSA is 63,198 KW days’.

The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority indicated on November 5th that Ireland’s crab effort had been exceeded, and fishing was subsequently prohibited from 4.55pm on November 11th.

However, vessels were allowed to ship and retain any crab on board until November 14th.

A spokesperson for the Department confirmed that, after the fishery closure, ‘Ireland subsequently secured a swap of effort from France of 12,000 kW days to give Ireland an adjusted effort limit of 75,198kW days”. 

The order was lifted for vessels over 10 metres at 5.15pm on November 15th.