Update: Last four weeks of Shetland velvet crab closed season 2026
The closed season has entered its last phase. All creel fishermen who had not chosen their own four-week closure must now cease catching or landing velvet crab from Monday 31st August until midnight on the night of Sunday 27th September.
Background:
Every SSMO licence holder with a creel entitlement has to cease catching or landing velvet crabs for a period of four weeks during the summer. Closures should coincide with a significant increase in the proportion of soft shells being observed in creels in the local area. The timing tends to vary for different areas around Shetland.
The closed season ends at midnight on 27th September. It is intended as a conservation measure to help protect the stock during the main breeding season, particularly when shells may be soft after moulting. Soft velvets are easily harmed through the stress and handling involved in being hauled up and discarded.
Under SSMO regulations it is illegal to land soft or berried velvet crabs at any time of year.
In recent years the successful small-boat mackerel fishery has played a helpful role in reducing the fishing effort on velvet crab during the summer months.