Emergency by-law approved in Cornwall after octopus surge

A vote has been passed for an emergency by-law to cut the number of larger boats fishing for octopus. The Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) wanted emergency rules to cap the size of vessels using pots to catch octopus, to protect the crab and lobster fishery. In a meeting at County Hall in Truro, the authority passed the by-law nine votes to five. The by-law, which prohibits multihull vessels more than 10m (33ft) long and monohull vessels more than 12m (39ft) long from using pots to fish for octopus within the Cornwall IFCA district, should become law on 1 July for a year after application to Secretary of State. A report warned the surge was "adversely affecting local crustacean stocks" by drawing more crabs and lobsters into the same areas. Regulators said larger vessels were moving inshore and deploying up to 2,000 pots which risked making crustaceans easier targets for octopuses which preyed on shellfish. Sam Davis, Cornwall IFCA's chief officer, said the by-law would help "reduce the impact" of fishing on crabs and lobsters which also live in the same environment as the octopus. "Those vessels we are talking about are very capable, they can fish in al