Sea Fishing

Crabs, lobsters and whelks

Who can fish?

If you want to fish using crab / lobster pots from a registered fishing vessel you must hold a licence issued by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry in the Isle of Man. The licence will tell you how many pots you can fish. If you wish to apply for a licence you should be aware that there is a waiting list. Please download an application form below or contact the Department for further details.

If you do not have a registered fishing vessel you can fish for crabs and lobsters using a maximum of five pots. You will need a licence to do this, please contact the Department for an application form or download a copy from the link below. Please note that at the end of the year you are required to complete a Catch Return Form which is also available to download from the link below.

A seperate Whelk Licence is required for fishing whelk pots within three miles of the Isle of Man. Please download an application form below or contact the Department for further details.

Rules

Minimum landing sizes apply, see document at the bottom of the page.

Every pot must have a marker attached which is marked clearly and indelibly, and should show the vessel number, and the number of pots to which the marker is attached.

There is a bag limit for non-commercial licence holders of one lobster and five crabs per day.

You can only use a stock cage if you hold a potting licence. You must write to the Department giving the exact location of the stock cage before you use it.

Downloadable Documents