Lobster/crab pot - escape hatch

[slowworm]

My local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority states that any pot or trap capable of catching lobsters or crabs and has a 'soft eye' must be fitted with an escape hatch that will allow the undersized lobsters/crabs out. This bylaw seems common around the UK shores but the various simple traps I've seen for sale don't offer such a hatch.

Does anyone know much about this as I'm not sure of the exact definition of a 'soft eye'* and as far as I understand the law even if I intend to fish for prawns because the trap is capable of catching a lobster/crab then it must have the hatch - but then all the prawns would escape so I'm a bit confused.

* Soft eye is defined as: ‘Soft eye’ shall mean the entrance or entrances to the pot or parlour which are constructed of netting.

However, the pot I have is made of netting and has a metal ring to for the entrance and a netting funnel going into the pot so I'm not sure if it's a soft eye.

I've not had much success in googling so any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Everything Mac]

Larger holes in the netting?

 

[slowworm]

Fitting an escape hatch is not a problem but a large hatch or large net holes would just mean everything escaping. As I would be mainly after prawns or velvet swimming crabs this doesn't make sense. It's the same for 'soft eye', by the looks of it prawn pots have soft eyes otherwise the prawns just swim out.

I can only think there must be some exemption or something and had hoped someone knew more as a few people here use pots. Looks like I'll have to email my local IFCA and hope they reply.

 

[DaveBromley]

can't you limit the size of the softeye so that it will only allow your smaller prey in without allowing lobsters etc?

Dave

 

[slowworm]

That had occurred to me and the trap does have a metal eye on the outside and a net eye 6 inches on the inside (hence being a bit confused if my trap can be described as hard or soft eye!) but if I just have a hard eye of, say, 2 inches, then the prawns will surely just swim out?

 

[santaman2000]

Fitting an escape hatch is not a problem but a large hatch or large net holes would just mean everything escaping. As I would be mainly after prawns or velvet swimming crabs this doesn't make sense. It's the same for 'soft eye', by the looks of it prawn pots have soft eyes otherwise the prawns just swim out....

You'd love the regs over here. Commercial shrimpers have to have a TED (Turtle Excluder Device) in their nets. It's a hole in the back of the trawl net large enough to let a large sea turtle escape. Don't ask me how you're supposed to net shrimp with that large a hole in your net.

 

[slowworm]

A quick update. I've spoken to my local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA)and indeed they regard the trap as not legal in it's current state as the netting funnels would constitute a soft eye (thus preventing small crabs/lobsters from escaping and being needlessly killed by the larger ones). I can remove that netting and the trap will be legal and in order to prevent too many things escaping I can reduce the size of the hard eye and lift trap every day.

I must say they were very helpful. It is also a little concerning that many traps are sold and used in the UK that aren't legal. If anyone is concerned about conserving their stocks and/or obeying their local laws I'd check up with their local inshore fisheries and conservation authority and emailing them if you need any clarification; further details here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/marine/wwo/ifca/

 

[shanks]

Really sorry to drag up this thread from 2 years ago, i stumbled across it from Google.

What you have been told is incorrect,

Most pot entrances are made of net in the uk. The 'Eye' part is the narrow end of the net funnel and classed as a 'soft eye' if there is no ring in there. The net folds over itself a little to form a closure.
A 'hard eye' is where the net funnel ends with a ring, plastic or metal or even wood. The size or this hard ring dictates what can crawl into it, obviously. Escape hatches are seldom fitted to pots in the Uk, and any undersize crabs/lobsters are thrown back into the sea when the pot is hauled, as there is a minimum size for landing.

Cheers

 

[slowworm]

My byelaws are very clear and match up with what I've been told, your byelaws may be different unless I've misunderstood your post.

No person shall use or cause to be used for the purpose of fishing for Brown/ Edible Crab (Cancer pagurus) Lobster (Homarusgammarus) or Spider Crab(Majasquinado) any pot of whatever material having an entrance fitted with a soft eye unless the pot or parlour within a pot is fitted with an escape gap.
Any escape gap must:
a) be located in the exterior wall of the pot
b) be so designed and constructed and of sufficient size that there may be easily passed through it a rigid box shaped gauge which measures 84 millimetres wide by 46 millimetres high by 100 millimetres long, and
c) be fitted in such a way that the longitudinal axis is parallel to the base of the pot and is located in the lowest part of the parlour as is practically possible, other than in the bottom