Proposed Fisheries Management Plan for Crab and Lobster

This consultation seeks views on the proposed Fisheries Management Plan for Crab and Lobster in the Welsh zone.

The proposed Crab and Lobster Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for the Welsh zone sets out a new, more coherent approach to managing these fisheries, fulfilling statutory requirements under the Fisheries Act 2020 and supporting broader Welsh Government commitments on sustainability, the marine environment and community wellbeing.

FMPs are evidence-based action plans designed to achieve sustainable fisheries.

Wales’s seas are home to diverse and productive marine ecosystems that support a rich variety of marine life. Healthy fish and shellfish populations are a fundamental component of these ecosystems, playing an important ecological role while also providing valuable sources of food and supporting recreational, cultural and commercial activities.

These marine resources face a range of pressures, including the impacts of climate change, environmental change and human activity. While fishing delivers significant social and economic benefits to Wales, particularly for coastal communities, it can also place pressure on fish and shellfish stocks and the wider marine environment. Effective fisheries management is therefore essential to ensure that marine resources are used sustainably, balancing environmental, social and economic objectives for the benefit of current and future generations.

Crab and lobster are among the most economically important fisheries in Wales, underpinning the livelihoods of many fishers and supporting coastal communities, local businesses and the wider seafood supply chain. Maintaining healthy and resilient stocks is critical to securing the long-term sustainability of these fisheries, protecting marine ecosystems, and supporting the continued prosperity of Wales’s coastal communities.

Through this consultation, we are seeking views on proposed measures to support the sustainable management of Welsh crab and lobster fisheries, helping to ensure these valuable resources remain productive and resilient for generations to come.

The  Fisheries Act 2020 (the Act) underpins the way fisheries are managed across the UK. As fisheries management is devolved, Welsh Ministers have responsibility for management decisions in Wales and the Welsh zone. 

The Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS), as required by the Act, sets out how the UK fisheries policy authorities (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland) will prepare and publish 43 Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) by 2028. 

The Act requires the relevant authority or authorities to prepare and publish FMPs in accordance with the list and timetable included in the JFS. 

The proposed Fisheries Management Plan for Crab and Lobster in the Welsh zone (Crab and Lobster FMP) is the first Wales only FMP and is due for publication by end of 2026. The Crab and Lobster FMP has been developed in consultation with the Crab and Lobster Advisory Working group, the fishing industry and wider stakeholders.

Wales’s seas are an important part of our national identity, our natural environment and the livelihoods of many coastal communities. Crab and lobster fisheries make a valuable contribution to local economies and the wider seafood supply chain, while also forming part of a rich and complex marine ecosystem.

The proposed Fisheries Management Plan for Crab and Lobster in the Welsh zone marks an important step in how we manage these fisheries for the long term. It reflects our commitment to sustainable fishing, resilient coastal communities and the protection of the marine environment. It also supports the delivery of the Fisheries Act 2020 and the Joint Fisheries Statement, which set the strategic direction for sustainable fisheries management across Wales and the wider UK.

Crab and lobster are high-value but data-limited stocks. This means we must take a precautionary, evidence-led and collaborative approach to their management. The Plan proposes actions to improve our understanding of stock status, strengthen the evidence base, consider appropriate management measures and ensure the fisheries can respond to future pressures, including climate change.

I am grateful to the fishing industry, recreational fishers, the Crab and Lobster Advisory Working Group and wider stakeholders who have helped shape the development of this draft plan. Their knowledge and experience are essential if we are to develop practical, proportionate and effective fisheries management arrangements for Wales.

This consultation is an opportunity for everyone with an interest in crab and lobster fisheries, the marine environment and coastal communities to provide their views. I encourage you to consider the proposals and share your evidence, experience and ideas to help ensure the final plan is robust, fair and capable of supporting sustainable fisheries for current and future generations.

Llyr Gruffydd AS/MS

Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability 

The proposed FMP focuses on brown (edible) crab and European lobster in the Welsh zone and also considers the evidence needs for other data deficient crustacean species including crawfish, spider crab, velvet swimming crab and common prawns.

This consultation is seeking your views on the following documents which should be read in conjunction with this consultation document:

• The draft Crab and Lobster FMP, in accordance with Schedule 1 Part 3 of the Act;
• The draft Summary Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA);
• The draft voluntary Environmental Assessment: Environmental Report.

This consultation is particularly relevant to: 

• Individuals, groups, or businesses who are engaged in the fishing, seafood, or aquaculture sectors on a recreational or commercial basis, including those from outside the UK who fish in UK waters,
• Other individuals, groups or businesses who are sea users, for example, marine industries such as offshore renewables and sailing bodies,
• National and local interest groups such as environmental and recreational non-governmental organisations, and industry federations.

Why are we publishing FMPs?

The Act sets out the legal framework to manage fisheries in the UK, including the provision to prepare and publish FMPs. FMPs are intended to support the protection of fish stocks and, where necessary, the recovery of fish stocks, which in turn will support a sustainable fishing industry and safeguard the environment. 
The publishing of FMPs provides a more integrated approach to managing fish stocks to achieve long term sustainability. 

What are FMPs?

FMPs are evidence-based action plans designed to achieve sustainable fisheries for current and future generations. They are documents prepared and published under the Act that set out policies designed to maintain relevant stocks of sea fish at sustainable levels, or where necessary, restore them to sustainable levels (or contribute to this).

FMPs are strategic plans that must be reviewed and, if necessary, revised at least once every six years. They set out both a long-term vision for the fishery (or fisheries), together with the policies and management interventions necessary to achieve this vision.

Where appropriate, FMPs may identify actions to address wider issues identified during their development such as environmental, social and economic considerations. In addition to the Act objectives, FMPs therefore support delivery of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 commitments in Wales.
The plan will apply to all those catching crab and lobster in the Welsh zone, be they from the commercial or recreational sectors. Developed in a collaborative and transparent way, the aim is to ensure that FMPs are relevant to the fishery or fisheries and support a more practical and flexible approach to fisheries management tailored to species, locations, and fishing activities.

How FMPs work 

Fisheries management is a devolved competency, managed in relation to Wales and the Welsh zone by the Welsh Ministers through a combination of regulation (Assimilated EU Law, and domestic law including statutory instruments), byelaws, licence conditions and voluntary measures. FMPs may lead to changes to these management measures.

The Welsh Government are legally required to act in accordance with the policies set out in the plans and will work with a range of organisations and relevant stakeholders on implementation of the actions contained within the plans.

Whilst each FMP focuses on specific stocks, it will also be important to ensure they work together to recognise the management needs of fishermen and stakeholders who have an interest in fish stocks covered by more than one FMP.

A key feature of FMPs is that they are adaptive. Both the plans and the actions they contain are intended to evolve over time as new evidence becomes available, management measures take effect, and environmental, social and economic circumstances change. 

This flexibility is particularly important where further research and data collection are needed to inform future management decisions.

FMP actions are designed to be implemented over the lifetime of the plan and, in some cases, it may take time for the benefits to be realised in terms of stock sustainability and fisheries outcomes. To ensure they remain effective and relevant, FMPs must be reviewed within six years of publication, although they can be amended or replaced at any time following consultation.

The Welsh Government is committed to maintaining the collaborative and transparent approach used to develop FMPs throughout their implementation and review. Progress will be monitored against a range of indicators to assess whether the plan is delivering its objectives, supporting sustainable fisheries management, and meeting the requirements of the Act.

FMPs and other coastal states

Whilst the UK, as an independent coastal State, has regulatory autonomy to manage the fisheries, the UK is committed to working with other coastal State partners to secure the sustainable management of shared fisheries resources. This commitment was reaffirmed in the JFS. 

Through annual fisheries consultations with the EU and other coastal States and negotiations in other multilateral and bilateral fora, such as regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) or the Specialised Committee on Fisheries established under the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA), the UK will seek to achieve or contribute to the achievement of the objectives in the Act.

Where appropriate, FMPs will inform the approach to the development of multi-year strategies for conservation and management of shared stocks proposed by the UK and EU under the TCA, and any similar long-term plans with other coastal States. FMPs may also be updated to reflect any agreements negotiated in these international strategies.

All regulatory measures to implement the FMPs will be binding on all vessels fishing in the Welsh zone. Under the TCA any measures to be applied to EU vessels fishing in UK waters including the Welsh zone must be based on best available evidence and applied to both EU and UK vessels. There is a requirement to formally notify the EU of any changes to fisheries management measures likely to affect EU vessels. 

The Welsh Government will ensure other States affected by measures introduced through Welsh FMPs will be duly notified.

Approach to development 

This FMP has been co developed with the Crab and Lobster Advisory Working Group for Wales (Advisory Group). 

Views of industry and other interested parties have been collected through a series of coastal visits, meetings, and online engagement carried out by Seafish on behalf of Welsh Government. These, along with input from the Advisory Group, have been used to inform the content of this FMP, to identify the actions and measures with most support, to identify those which can be progressed quickly and those requiring further consideration. 

This consultation is an opportunity to seek wider views on the output of this process. Responses to the consultation will be analysed and used to inform any changes to the draft FMP ahead of the publication of final plans by the end of 2026.

Summary of the crab and lobster FMP 

Crab and lobster are among the most economically important fisheries in Wales, supporting the livelihoods of many coastal communities and contributing to the wider seafood supply chain. Ensuring these stocks remain healthy is essential for long‑term economic resilience of coastal communities and the environment.

The FMP outlines the current state of the fishery, identifies key gaps in evidence and management, and proposes actions to strengthen the sustainability of crab and lobster stocks. The plan applies to all crab and lobster fishing activity, commercial and recreational, undertaken within the Welsh zone.

The FMP focuses on brown (edible) crab (Cancer pagurus) and European lobster (Homarus gammarus), (referred to as crab and lobster).  Evidence gathering for other crustacea species is also included. 

The crabs and lobsters within scope of the FMP are high value, non-quota stocks (NQS) which are not subject to a Total Allowable Catches (TAC). There is currently limited data to accurately assess the health and sustainability of these stocks. The Act sets out the fisheries objectives which include the precautionary objective. The precautionary objective is stated to include that the ‘precautionary approach to fisheries management is applied’ which means an approach in which the absence of sufficient scientific information is not used to justify postponing or failing to take management measures to conserve target species, associated or dependent species, non-target species or their environment.

Key proposals include building a robust time series of stock data, reviewing and strengthening the current regulatory framework, improving protection for broodstock, improving management of recreational fishing, and exploring longer term options such as pot limitations and v-notching schemes. The plan also commits to understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change on the fishery and to gathering evidence for other crustacean stocks of economic importance.

These policies will help ensure that crab and lobster stocks are harvested sustainably, vulnerabilities are addressed early and effectively, and the fisheries continue to deliver environmental, social and economic benefits for future generations.

Draft FMP Policies 

 The FMP sets out policies to secure the long-term sustainability of the crab and lobster fisheries in the Welsh zone and identifies actions to deliver the policies.  The policies are clear, high level statements of the overall intended outcomes of the FMP. They set the strategic direction for the management of these species and deliver against one of more Fisheries Act objectives, as well as aligning with wider policy objectives.
The proposed FMP, including the policy and actions which are subject to the consideration of this consultation, will be prioritised appropriately following publication to ensure realistic and measurable outputs. They were drafted to meet the requirements of policies set out in the JFS and section 6(3)(b) of the Act. 
At present there is insufficient evidence to make an assessment of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for crab and lobster stocks in the Welsh zone. A precautionary approach will be taken during the early stages of implementation, with management measures introduced as the evidence base improves for example through policy 1 referenced below. 
The policy aims of this FMP, which are explained in detail in the FMP are: 
 

1. Improve our understanding of the status of crab and lobster stocks 
2. Catches of crab and lobster are within sustainable limits based on scientific evidence
3. Reduce any adverse impacts on the marine environment
4. Crab and lobster fisheries are resilient to impacts of climate change
5. Improve our understanding of other crustacea species of economic and social importance 
    

Impact Assessment

A summary Integrated Impact Assessment (IAA) has been carried out and is part of the supporting information for consideration as part of this consultation. 

A full IIA is not required at the consultation stage because the plan does not introduce new legislation, voluntary regulation, codes of practice, guidance or policy changes. A full IIA will be completed on specific interventions resulting from the FMP.

Environmental Assessments

The Welsh Government has undertaken a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) of the proposed Crab and Lobster FMP. The HRA screening stage, known as the Test of Likely Significant Effect (TLSE), concluded the FMP is not likely to have a significant effect on any protected European Marine Sites. The FMP provides strategic policy direction and does not introduce specific management measures at this stage.

The FMP focuses on addressing evidence gaps, improving understanding of stock status against Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) or an appropriate proxy, and working with stakeholders to develop a management framework that supports long-term sustainability.

The Welsh Government has also voluntarily undertaken a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), based on the approach set out in the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Wales) Regulations 2004, to ensure environmental considerations inform further policy and action development.

For the first time, the HRA TLSE and SEA Environmental Report have been combined. This approach responds to stakeholder feedback and is intended to make the assessment more accessible, transparent and proportionate.

Any future management measures arising from the FMP will be subject to public consultation and all necessary statutory assessments before implementation. The Welsh Government intends to update the HRA/SEA FMP document as evidence develops and policies are introduced or amended.

We are seeking your views on this approach.

Implementation and Review

Once published, the actions and policies within the FMP will need to be implemented. This will be an iterative process, and the Welsh Government will be working closely with the other relevant authorities, the fishing sector and wider stakeholders to develop implementation plans. 

Publishing the FMP is the start of a multi-year cycle, and we will ensure it strikes the balance between building momentum for short-term actions and setting direction for the longer term. This can be further iterated as the evidence base is improved. 

FMPs must be reviewed at least every six years. This formal review will assess how the FMP has performed in terms of meeting the objectives of the Act. An earlier review may take place if relevant evidence, international obligations, or wider events require a change in the policies set out in the FMPs. 

The effectiveness of the FMP will be regularly assessed, and the results reported at least every three years as part of the JFS report, as required by the Act. 

Welsh Government recognises that stakeholder involvement and ongoing collaboration underpins successful delivery of the FMPs and will continue beyond their publication.  

If you wish to comment on these proposals, please email Welsh Government at fisheries.management@gov.wales.

Responses can be submitted by email, post or via an online form on the Welsh Government website.

E-mail/postal responses should be sent to the address below to arrive by midnight on 27 October 2026 at the latest. Please ensure you state “Consultation: The Proposed Crab and Lobster FMP in the Welsh zone” in the subject box.

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e-mail: dataprotectionofficer@gov.wales

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In order to show that the consultation was carried out properly, the Welsh Government intends to publish a summary of the responses to this document. We may also publish responses in full. We publish responses anonymously and your name and contact details will not be included. If you would like your name or other details published alongside your response, please let us know when you submit your response, and we will include them.

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Large print, Braille and alternative language versions of this document are available on request. 

Mae’r ddogfen yma hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg / This document is also available in Welsh.