Calendar of velvet crab closures
Each SSMO licence holder with a creel entitlement must declare a block of four weeks in which he will not catch or land velvet crabs.
A closure must start on a Monday between 16th June and 1st September and ends at midnight on Sunday four weeks later.
The restricted period ends on 30th September. It helps protect the stock at its most vulnerable stages in the breeding season, particularly when the shell may be soft after moulting.
Under SSMO regulations it is illegal to land soft or berried velvet crabs at any time of year. The closed season helps ensure that these fragile velvet crab are not harmed by being caught, hauled and discarded.