Sussex SFDC | Minimum legal sizes

Minimum legal sizes

The following minimum sizes for finfish, crustacea and mollusc species currently apply within the Sussex Sea Fisheries Committee's District.

Click here for a guide to where the measurement is taken.

Variations in size regulations may exist with respect to species captured outside Sea Area ICES Division VIId, which are then transported into the District.

Unless specified all measurements apply to the dimension of length. Additional information regarding the method of measurement for fish, crustacea and molluscs should be referred to if necessary.

Finfish:
WHITING	27 cm
COD	35 cm
HERRING	20 cm
POLLACK	30 cm
SAITHE	35 cm
MACKEREL	20 cm
HORSE MACKEREL	15 cm
SARDINE	11 cm
PLAICE	27 cm
LING	63 cm
HAKE	27 cm
BASS	36 cm
DOVER SOLE	24 cm
MEGRIM	20 cm

Crustacea:
LOBSTER (Homarus gammarus)	87 mm	carapace length
EDIBLE CRAB (Cancer pagurus)	140 mm	carapace width
VELVET CRAB (Necora puber)	65 mm	carapace width
SPIDER CRAB (Maia squinado)	130 mm (males)	carapace length
	120 mm (females)	carapace length
CRAWFISH (Palinurus spp.)	95 mm	carapace length

Molluscs:
QUEEN SCALLOP (Chlamys spp)	40 mm	shell width
KING SCALLOP (Pecten maximus)	110 mm	shell width
WHELK (Buccinum undatum)	45 mm	shell length
RAZOR CLAM (Ensis spp)	10 cm	shell length
OYSTER (native) (Ostrea edulis)	7 cm *

* The shell must be unable to pass through a circular ring with a 70 mm internal diameter