Notice

Have Your Say On Proposed Brown Crab Conservation Measures in the South West

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), on behalf of Defra, has launched a new online survey inviting stakeholders to share their views on proposed changes to brown crab management in the South West.

• From: Marine Management Organisation and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 31 July 2025

Applies to England

Documents

South West Brown Crab MCRS Consultation Overview Document

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688b52aa17af69a639ebe69b/P_Draft_Southwest_brown_crab_online_survey_overview_document.pdf

Details

This follows strong support from the South West Crab Trial Group for harmonising the Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) for brown crab. The proposed MCRS would be set at 160 millimetres (mm) for males and 150 mm for females.

With stakeholder support, and anticipated long-term benefits to crab stocks, the government intends to implement the proposed MCRS increase as a permanent measure, rather than a trial. This is subject to further stakeholder input.

MMO has opted for a short, mobile-friendly online survey to make it easier for stakeholders to participate and share their views. The survey is open until 23:59  on 17 August 2025 and takes just 5 minutes to complete.

Stakeholders are encouraged to complete the survey and share it widely within their networks.

Published 31 July 2025