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Crustacean populations in British waters have plummeted unexpectedly – with some fishermen blaming bad weather.
At the end of February this year, the UK was plagued with several days of extreme weather, labeled the ‘Beast from the East’.
It is believed these conditions killed off many of the younger shellfish around the British coast.
Profit
Some of those who profit from selling shellfish are starting to worry about the impact of dwindling stocks on their income, with eateries in the South West hit worst.
Chris Pike, of The Pea Green Boat restaurant in Devon, told The Sidmouth Herald: “We haven’t had it on the menu for over two months. Every day people come in and ask, ‘where are the crab sandwiches?’ It’s definitely affecting the menu in Sidmouth.”
And a local crab fisherman noted a bizarre trend. Kim Aplin, from Beer, claims that 90 percent of the crabs he was catching were male and just 10 percent female. This is as yet unexplained.
