Cyfarfod Grŵp Cynghori ar Grancod a Chimychiaid: 13 Tachwedd 2025

Bethan Jones, Fisheries Division, Welsh Government (BJ) – Chair
Keith Neal, Recreational Fisher (KN)
Matt Sayer, Fisheries Division, Welsh Government (MS)
Greta Hughes, Commercial Fisher (GH)
Lisa Roberts-Clarke, Fisheries Division, Welsh Government (LRC)
David Harries, Recreational Fisher (DH)
Jim Evans, Welsh Fisherman’s Association (JE)
Holly Kaiser, Seafish (HK)
Julie Hill, Exporter (JH)
Glyn Phillips, Commercial Fisher (GP)
Carl Davies, Commercial Fisher (CD)
Samira Anand, Seafish Industry Engagement Manager- Wales (SA)
Natalie Hold, Bangor University (NH)
Martin Robinson, Recreational Fisher (MR)
Charlie Heney, Bangor University (CH)
Sion Williams, Commercial Fisher (SW)
Colin Charman, Natural Resources Wales (CC)

Apologies: John Gorman (Commercial Fisher), Chris Graham (MCS) and Mark Gray (WFA). Stephen Giles a recreational fisher confirmed he has stepped down from the group due to other commitments.

Chair welcomed all to the fourth meeting of the crab and lobster advisory working group. The purpose was further discussion of the co-development of the Crab and Lobster fisheries management plan, as set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement. The aim is to achieve sustainable stocks, a healthy marine environment and a viable and profitable fishing sector. BJ confirmed the meeting agenda.

BJ confirmed the minutes from July had been circulated to the group.

Actions from the last meeting

The actions from the last meeting were:

BJ to feedback concerns about prioritisation measures from goal 1 for improved stock monitoring and raise with Control and Enforcement - done.
BJ to share the crab and lobster environmental assessment slides with the group - done.
BJ to contact David Jarrad in SAGB to invite him to join the group - done. However, David was not sure he was best placed within SAGB.
For iVMS data, Bekah was to raise the query about accessing data with the digital data team in Fisheries - not sure if this was done. Bekah is currently on maternity leave.
Natalie to share with Greta about the lobster larvae work being done by Bangor –not sure if that’s been done.

Outstanding

Action: BJ to have a further discussion with SAGB about inviting a representative and ask Mike Roach. 

BJ had not received any amendments to the minutes. CD highlighted his comments were not fully captured in the minutes in item 3, referring to berried hens and large V- notched lobsters.

Action: BJ to ensure the minutes from 29 July were redrafted and sent to CD to agree, and then for publication on Welsh Government’s website.

During the meeting technical difficulties with Microsoft Teams resulted in some members being unable to join online.

Stephen Thompson (ST) forwarded comments about the minutes of the last meeting, in table 3, Feedback on prioritisation of the measures exercise and FMP draft section. In line 3 "Review of gear selectivity – escape gaps and biodegradable catches".

ST presumes that "catches" refers to the means of keeping shut the pot, which can be made with biodegradable material to prevent ghost fishing by lost pots? He supports this approach - his comment is more one of clarity. Could an alternative word to catches be used - "closing device", possibly, to avoid potential confusion with the meaning of "catches" being crabs / lobsters caught in the pots? That may happen, especially when this document is distributed to those less familiar with the fishery and previous discussions around this issue.

NH provided a presentation on the status of the stock by the Crustacean Research Team at Bangor University and the PhD research work completed with CH. The project aimed to meet the high-level fisheries evidence priorities; and gather further evidence on key Welsh commercial stocks. This would also support the development and implementation of fisheries management plans.

NH thanked JH for assisting with the survey and allowing species to be checked. It was confirmed that port sampling data was no longer occurring. The project had five main areas of focus:

1. Improved information on growth.
2. Develop a length data collection program that is efficient and gains good spatial and temporal coverage across Wales.
3. Develop a recruitment index.
4. Sensitivity analysis of current integrated stock assessments to identify key uncertainties.
5. Harvest Control Measure and Rules Workshop.

The first three areas of focus were discussed. A number of trips were funded by Welsh Government and by Fisheries Industry Science Partnership (FISP). For information on growth the species were tagged and recaptured within the offshore windfarm in north Wales from 2023 to 25 and would aim to expand South.

For gathering length data onboard observer work continued across commercial vessels and included participation from 15 regular fishers. It included work to understand the grading process and variations across processors; and to apply knowledge gained on stock assessment data and to better understand the data gathered.
Size distribution was also considered. Observation made about more lobster being caught and a decline seen in catching crab. It was a consideration fishers might not be targeting crab in the same way and could be a problem for the stock assessment.

NH explained the focus on a pre-recruitment survey. Smaller sized lobster were observed and from a pilot project in 2014 the D-shaped prawn pots revealed they captured juvenille crab and lobster best. The aim was to deploy gear to capture juveniles and begin a long-term data set for recruitment monitoring.

Survey work in the north had been hampered by bad weather. NH confirmed the team would try again in spring 2026. Work would include an increase spatial effort; increase in use of more pots on strings; to utilise onboard AI cameras; and continue the collaboration between fishers and science. This would be repeated again in late summer/autumn.

NH requested fishers with knowledge of suitable areas to survey to get in touch. Due to the MMO’s issues with their central data sets, Bangor University had been working on dummy data sets.

JE raised the point of whether sampling from the north down had diminished after Aberystwth. NH confirmed there had been positive data from Solva and Oxwich Bay. However, issues were recognised south of Cardigan Bay.

JE queried if GP could help with the sampling, he fishes out of Milford Haven but has concentrated on fishing for crayfish rather than lobster.

JH asked whether fishers in Anglesey would be needed to engage, as she could pass on the request. CH confirmed she had been in discussion with staff in the Lobster Pot.

MS updated the group that APEM Ltd had been awarded the Welsh Fisheries Monitoring Programme 2025-2027.

SW confirmed he would also help Bangor University. He had a good year of fishing for crab and observed a lot of larger male crabs being landed. However, crab were not located in the traditional areas and were more dispersed instead. Since 2015, crabs have noticeably declined in the north and the west of Wales.

CH queried if the presence of black spot in crab had been seen. SW confirmed the presence of weaker crabs were noticed, being off brown in colour and found more in an inshore area around 20m in depth. Whereas hen crabs were found in deeper water. SW would help NH with crab samples. Also, GP was happy for NH to visit the waters he fished.

The presence of black spot was discussed further. NH advised of the intention to sample for the disease. Cefas would be able to assist with running samples to identify the presence of any pathogens causing lesions. NH would consider sampling in some areas identified by SW.

At a recent SAGB processors meeting BJ stated the issue of a 5 to 10 % reduction in body fill in crab was seen. NH confirmed it suggested a worrying decline in the species.

CD confirmed since 2019/2020 a decline in crab and the seriousness of the infection was noticed. Black spot had increased with males affected, and in 2025 there had been around 80-90% infected. Recently there had been a decrease which had levelled off.

Discussions covered the changes to environmental conditions noticed and an increase in sea temperatures. JE raised the concern from the octopus bloom in Cornwall which caused displacement of effort of fishers. Octopus had not got further than south Wales and had not damaged the fishery unlike southwest England.
SA confirmed recent discussions with fishers in Cornwall and Devon confirmed the decline in crab usually caught in the south peninsular.

SW noticed berried crabs were being caught earlier in the year, when previously they were seen in December. NH and BJ agreed this had been confirmed. The reproduction cycle of crabs produces a moult inhibiting hormone. JH had observed the east coast crab were not roed up yet.

GH confirmed very few crabs had been seen other than spider crab, which was present all year round. She targets lobster and notice squid being caught off Pwhelli, which was new. GH queried whether octopus had a preference for lobster over crab. NH advised the octopus would be cannibalistic if none were present.
CH confirmed fishers in France would diversify their fishing practices when octopus was present, so reacted differently to the UK fishers. GP confirmed he was aware of 2 companies in the south which marketed octopus pots. NH acknowledged the impact of climate change may require science projects to be done to explore further. JE concluded the displacement issue should be a management consideration. KN queried whether industry could be overfishing natural predators.

BJ thanked the group for a very useful discussion and for the presentation from Bangor University.

BJ confirmed the draft FMP was nearing completion. The environmental assessments had been sent to the statutory nature conservation bodies - NRW, Cadw, and JNCC over the summer for informal consultation. BJ thanked CC for his input on the assessment, which was being worked through to amend.

Also, BJ advised following the prioritisation exercise completed by the group in August, work had progressed to nearing a final draft of the FMP, which had been sent to Legal Services in Welsh Government for comments.

The consultation document was 90% completed and would need to add in the final summary of the environmental assessment. BJ confirmed Legal Services would need to see documents again. Next steps would include its translation before the consultation could open. This was still planned before Christmas. However, BJ highlighted of a possible delay depending on staff workloads.

The intention was to work through responses and get a final draft FMP for consultation over the pre-election period and immediately following the election, and for a target publication date of summer 2026. BJ thanked CLAW group members for their help with developing the FMP.

BJ updated the group of the new Deputy Director for Fisheries Division. Mark Alexander started in his new role in September, coming from Agriculture Division in Welsh Government.

HK confirmed Lewis Tattersall in Seafish was leaving on 15 November for a role at MCS. Seafish staff would share various aspects of Lewis’s work with Ella Brock being a main contact.

BJ advised a brief meeting would be arranged when it was possible to give an accurate update of timings for the consultation. A full meeting would be arranged for early 2026.

Members were encouraged to submit any future agenda items. BJ thanked the group for attending and for all their contributions.