About
The Lobster Pot
The traditional lobster pot has been used for hundreds of years and is still the preferred method of catching lobster as they cause the least amount of damage.
Traditionally they had a wooden base with a hazel or bamboo cane frame. They are now mostly made using a coated steel frame. These frames are covered in netting and secured with rope wrapped around the frame. Rubber is lashed around the bottom of the pot to protect both it and the seabed.
It is usual now to put a plastic tray in the base of the pot to help prevent the limbs of the crabs and lobsters from slipping through the bottom bars and being damaged. Another regular addition is an escape gap which is placed into the side of the pot to allow undersize animals to get out.
Every fisher has a different way of making a pot so no two are the same. Lobster pots also act as mini reefs when they are left on the seabed. Like any hard surface underwater they attract life. Different seaweeds and mussels are known to attach to the pots creating a new habitat. This has the added benefit of providing an extra food source spreading life across the seabed.
Bait
Bait is secured in the pots using either bands or specially-made bait bags. Virtually all bait is offal left over after filleting fish for human consumption. This ensures good use of a waste product by feeding other species in the sea. The main baits used are cod, mackerel, salmon, skate, and flounder.
How it works
A small quantity of bait is secured into each pot. The pots are attached in fleets of 25, 30 or 40. Each fleet is then launched off the back (stern) of the boat to lie in lines along the seabed. They are marked at each end of the fleet with a labelled buoy to identify them. Readings (latitude and longitude) are also taken for the position of each fleet so the vessel can easily locate them next time they are fishing.
These fleets are left at least overnight and sometimes up to a week if the weather is bad, and boats cannot get to sea. They are then hauled back aboard and emptied. Any keepers are put in fish boxes or large drums known as bongos and covered with a damp cloth to protect them. They also have fresh seawater running over them to keep everything fresh.
Anything that is not wanted is put back into the sea alive and within minutes of leaving the water. The pots are then baited again and put back on the seabed.
Sustainability
Here on the East Yorkshire Coast, we believe our method of fishing is truly one of the most sustainable there is.
The pots do not cause damage to the seabed and any undersize or unwanted catch is returned to the sea alive after getting a free meal in the pot. Unlike fish, undersized shellfish can be discarded without coming to any harm.
Minimum Landing Size ensures a continued breeding population and we are working closely with our local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) on introducing other measures to ensure continued sustainability.
