A ban on sea eggs harvesting will remain in force, and there will be no sea egg fishing season this year, Chief Fisheries Officer Stephen Willoughby has announced.
He said that the results of the annual sea egg survey for 2017 indicate that the sea egg stock around the island is very low and cannot support the opening of a fishing season of any reasonable duration this year.
All fishermen, divers and the general public have been asked to desist from harvesting or purchasing sea eggs to allow the stock to recover to levels that would support fishing in the future.
The authorities are reminding that the penalty for selling, purchasing or being in possession of sea eggs or roe during the sea egg fishing close season is, on summary conviction, a fine of up to $50,000, and/or up to two years’ imprisonment.
