During my latest adventure along the intertidal zone of the seashore, I came across a fellow ocean enthusiast who, in his adventuring, had found a berried lobster.
In marvelling at her size and the presence of not one, but two V notches in the tail, I thought about how this simple conservation initiative would likely go unnoticed by many, and that the fact it was the fishermen themselves who created and championed the effort so successfully that it was written into law would also slip through the net.
So to raise awareness, that’s today’s topic. V-Notching.
What is V-Notching?
V notching began as a voluntary effort, and conservation minded fishermen were crucial advocates; seeing it not as a further restriction but as stock investment. If a fishermen caught a female with eggs, they cut a small V in the tail. This would allow the fishermen to know with a quick glance that this is a successful breeding female, even when she’s not carrying eggs. If a V notch is present in the tail, the lobster is to be returned to the sea, protecting the future of the stock. Hearing of the efforts being undertaken in Ireland, Cornish fishermen began to adopt the practice. Working with Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committees (SFC), the predecessor of Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs), they formalised and tested the idea.
From local initiative to National Law
By the late 90s the evidence showed strong benefits: Increased egg production and recruitment, high survival rates of notched females, and a strong uptake in fishermen compliance. This grassroots success was the start of wider legal protection. Local byelaws were put in place prohibiting the landing, storage or sale of v-notched lobsters. By the 2000s, the concept was embedded in UK wide shellfish management policy and subsequently consolidated into later regulations.
This conservation effort worked because fishermen raised the alarm and were listened to. They worked together as an industry to design a working conservation solution and then embedded it into the fishery. It remains one of the most successful examples of co-management and it’s a reminder of the power and importance of fishermen being part of fisheries management across all levels.
A legacy worth remembering
So next time you see a lobster, whether on the shore, in a photo, or on a menu, remember: some of the most powerful conservation ideas don’t always start in laboratories or government offices – they start at sea.
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