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Fishermen claim that their means of earning a living are being jeopardized due to this issue.
woke
a rule permitting swarms of octopuses to consume all available prey exactly one week following their stock depletion
Keir Starmer
‘s new European Union fishing agreement.
Conservation regulations have required fishermen in Plymouth, Devon, to include small exit gaps in their traps, allowing undersized lobsters and crabs to be released back into the water.
However, unusually warm waters have caused thousands of Octopus Vulgaris — which are skilled hunters — to migrate northward from the Mediterranean.
They consume various kinds of shellfish, but their favorite dish is crab, which has been particularly detrimental to Claire Tapper, who owns the family-operated business called Cracking Crab.
She told MailOnline, “It has been terrible, truly awful. The worst experience I’ve had so far.”
‘We haven’t spotted a single crab in the past two months, and we’re considering calling it quits.’
‘We operate two vessels that would typically fill up with 14 bins weighing 60 kg each daily with crabs. Now, we consider ourselves fortunate if we get even a couple of bins per week.’
‘The boats didn’t set sail today; it isn’t worthwhile.’
After entering the pots, the octopus consume all the crabs before escaping through the exit hole. In contrast, Cornish fishers do not need to provide an exit and can retain and sell these cephalopods, which are a sought-after dish in continental Europe.
The previous week, under increasing pressure, the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (D&S IFCA) stated that fishermen in Devon have permission to block the entrance when targeting octopuses, though these creatures can escape through gaps after consuming crabs.
However, Mrs. Tapper, who has managed the business alongside her husband and children for eight years and provides fresh catches to nearby eateries, believes the harm might already be done as aggressive octopuses prey on young crabs, possibly harming the industry for an extended period.
“If they have consumed the younger ones, then that’s it—where would the fresh supplies come from?” she remarked.
‘It’s merely an additional blow following the new EU fishing agreement from last week.’
‘It’s unfortunate to witness because this was once a bustling sector in Plymouth, but within a few years, this entire area might turn into apartment buildings.’
A fisherman from Plymouth, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated: “Our crab catch has dropped by around 80% due to theoctopus, resulting in losses of thousands of pounds eachmonth.”
‘In Plymouth, we need to have an escape hatch, whereas Cornwall does not.’
‘We rarely spot many octopuses, but their presence is evident as all the crabs disappear.’
The fishermen reached out to Plymouth City Council’s head, Tudor Evans, appealing for his assistance in safeguarding the crucial fishing sector of the city.
He stated that the regulation was ‘now causing more damage than benefit’ because fishermen in other regions could keep and sell the octopuses they caught, whereas in this area, their fishing pots were being plundered and left empty, leaving local fisherman with nothing.
Plymouth fisherman Brian Tapper stated: “The octopuses are causing us problems.”
‘They’re entering through the side hatch – it’s like McDonald’s for them.’
‘They simply stay there until they’re filled up. They will consume about 50 pots of lobsters, crabs, and even scallops. When we arrive later, there’s nothing remaining.’
Barry Young from Brixham Trawler Agents stated that the octopuses were ‘devastating the crab industry,’ though vessels fishing for them were experiencing a windfall, having caught over 27,000 kilograms of these mollusks in just one day last week at Brixham.
Escape hatch provisions are required as per a regulation enacted by the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (D&SIFCA). They will review next month if permit regulations can be relaxed.
The authority stated in an announcement that they were cognizant of the considerable challenges faced by the fishing sector due to predation by octopuses.
The statement included: “Fishermen have noted that both ingress and egress to traps can occur via escape gaps installed in the traps. D&SIFCA acknowledges that this situation is affecting fishermen’s yields of shellfish as well as their incomes.”
On last Monday, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled a UK-EU reboot agreement that encompassed revised provisions for trade, defense, and travel.
However, fishermen were furious about a 12-year prolongation of an arrangement that permits vessels from EU nations to continue fishing in UK waters following Brexit.
Fishermen blamed Starmer for betraying their interests in an attempt to strengthen trade and defense relationships.
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