Velvet swimming crab

This stock is data limited and the status of the velvet crab stocks in England, Wales and the Isle of Man are currently unknown. There is concern for biomass and no concern for fishing pressure.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of data about the species biomass. There is no available data on velvet crab resilience to fishing pressure, but they are considered to have medium (0.33) vulnerability to fishing.No assessment of biomass is undertaken across this velvet crab fishing area and stock status reports are not regularly produced for the species. Therefore, there is concern for the biomass.Velvet crabs are often caught as bycatch in the brown crab, European lobster, and whelk potting fisheries. In 2023, MMO landings from English and Welsh vessels operating in English and Welsh EEZs were estimated at just under 74 tonnes. This is a decline from 2022, when landings were around 140 tonnes, and is also below the four-year average (2019-2022) of nearly 106 tonnes. There is no clear trend and the data is limited, however this currently suggest no concern for fishing pressure.Given the lack of biomass data and the likely influence of market value on landings, it is difficult to determine the overall status of velvet crabs. To better assess and understand the stock, fisheries-independent data and more accurate evaluations of bycatch levels are needed.

Some management measures are in place, but their effectiveness cannot be fully assessed due to limited data. A minimum landing size is enforced, and certain management authorities may have gear specifications, regulations, and catch limits in place.Due to a lack of data about the species biomass, it is not possible to assess whether current fishing levels are sustainable. Considerable improvements are needed including regular stock assessments for velvet crab to guide management.There is a Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) of 65 mm carapace width, and velvet crabs must be landed whole across UK waters. The MCRS is larger than the size at first maturity, estimated at around 50mm. However, it is likely that this standard size does not optimise reproduction and landings as some stocks mature smaller and some larger than this size.All vessels registered in the UK must have a domestic fishing vessel license to fish within the UK EEZ for sea fish that will be sold. No new licenses are being issued. All commercial vessels under 10m, with a shellfish license, are required to complete Monthly Shellfish Activity Return (MSAR) forms for the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). These must include the catch and retained weight each day along with the date, name of the vessel, vessel registration number, gear type, area and port of landing. All vessels over 10m do not need to complete MSAR as they will be completing an EU logbook of catches. For all vessels, effort is reported as days fished, and not as pots fished.As velvet crabs are often bycatch in the brown crab fishery, the Western Waters Regime can limit effort, with vessels 15m and above restricted to 220 days at sea in ICES area 7 between 1 January and 31 December.Some inshore areas in England and Wales have additional byelaws and regulations. Isle of Man fisheries are managed by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA). Several inshore areas have marine protected areas where further effort, gear and landings restrictions are in place to support habitats and commercial species. Gear modifications, such as escape gaps on pots, can allow undersized crabs to escape, as well as non-target finfish and other invertebrates.The Marine Conservation Society views Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) with cameras is one of the most cost-effective tools for providing reliable fisheries data and aiding informed management decisions. Fully monitored fisheries enhance collaboration, data accuracy, stock recovery, and reduce impacts on marine wildlife and habitats. However, the full potential of REM may only be achieved when it tracks fishing location and documents catch and bycatch, particularly where vulnerable species and habitats are at risk. As of January 2024, the EU is introducing a Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) mandate for EU vessels, including CCTV cameras on vessels 18m or more that pose a potential risk of non-compliance, within the next 4 years. Across the UK, different approaches to REM are being taken and legislation is expected to be in place across all 4 countries within the next few years.The Fisheries Act (2020) requires the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) (replacing EU Multi-Annual Plans) in the UK. 43 FMPs have been proposed and are at various stages of development and implementation, these should all be published by the end of 2028. FMPs have the potential to be very important tools for managing UK fisheries, although data limitations may delay them for some stocks. It is also essential the UK governments define and adopt a standardised approach or model across the four nations to a universally defined FMP design, to ensure the consistence, quality and coherence of all the proposal FMPs.The Marine Conservation Society is keen to see publicly available Fishery Management Plans for all commercially exploited stocks, especially where stocks are depleted, that include:An overview of the fishery including current stock status, spatial coverage, current fishing methods and impactsTargets for fishing pressure and biomass, and additional management when those targets are not being met, based on the best scientific evidenceTimeframes for stock recoveryImproved data collection, transparency, and accountability, supported by technologies such as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM)Consideration of wider environmental impacts of the fishery, including habitat impacts and minimising bycatchStakeholder engagementA Crab and Lobster FMP has been proposed, coordinated by Defra, which incorporates this species. At the time of writing, it is too soon to know whether proposed management measures will be effective in managing the stock. For more information about this FMP and expected progress and timelines, see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-fisheries-statement-jfs/list-of-fisheries-management-plans

Velvet crabs are usually caught as bycatch in the potting fishery for brown crab and lobster. Crab pots have low seabed impacts when deployed and retrieved correctly.Velvet crabs are a common bycatch species in the mixed fishery for brown crab and European lobster. Crabs are caught in pots, also known as creels, and can be fished individually or as part of a fleet of up to 100 pots, depending on the size of the boat and crew. Pots are portable traps made of wood or steel wire and plastic. The crab is baited into the initial part (the chamber) and moves into the secondary part (the parlour) where it becomes trapped.In crab fisheries, there is no legislation or regulation to standardise the type of pot used. They tend to be highly selective as undersized animals can be returned to the sea alive and survival rates for non-target organisms are thought to be high. Studies of Irish Sea potting fisheries shown that other common bycatch species, alongside velvet crabs, are small-spotted catsharks and squat lobsters. While more than half of the bycatch is predicted to survive, there is little research available to support this. Measures to further reduce bycatch include the use of escape panels to allow undersize animals and bycatch to escape pots.Habitat impacts from potting are low but can occur during deployment, soak time or hauling of the pot, impacting the benthic habitat and associated species through contact with the pot or end weight, or by scouring from ropes. Research that has taken place suggests that while some damage does occur, it is unlikely to be significant unless potting intensity is high (defined as approximately 30 pots per 500 square metres). The most damage occurs when traps are set in sensitive habitats such as rocky reefs, seagrass beds, and maerl beds. These ecosystems play a crucial role in supporting marine biodiversity by providing nursery grounds, shelter from predators, and settlement areas for invertebrate spat.Lost pots can pose an additional risk to marine life through ‘ghost fishing’, where abandoned gear continues to trap and entangle species. As fishing gear is a financial investment, there is incentive to maintain and recover lost pots. The occurrence of ghost fishing can also be reduced by the use of appropriate gear designs and release devices.To improve monitoring and reporting of fishing activity, The Marine Conservation Society would like to see remote electronic monitoring (REM) with cameras implemented, used and enforced.

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