Fishermen could be barred from landing lobsters smaller than 90mm under Government proposals published yesterday.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is consulting the fishing industry, conservationists, and other interested parties on plans to conserve England's stocks of the European clawed common lobster.
Whilst the lobster stocks are thought to be sustainable at present, there are concerns that any increase in exploitation could cause the stock to be depleted.
The current minimum landing size is 87mm carapace length (CL), but scientific advice suggests that increasing it will allow lobsters more time to mature and reproduce, resulting in larger numbers.
The consultation comes after the Government decided against banning the landing of egg-bearing or 'berried' lobsters earlier this year.
Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw said: "The European clawed common lobster is one of the most valuable commercial species on the UK market.
"They take around six years to reach sexual maturity, and five to seven years to reach the current minimum catch size of 87mm.
"I believe that increasing the minimum landing size would result in a significant boost in egg production and would be relatively easy to enforce."
