- More than 60,000 lobsters weighing almost 39 tonnes were returned to Irish waters in 2025
- The figure is the highest recorded since the scheme began 30 years ago
- Close to 240 inshore fishers across 92 coastal locations took part
- BIM estimates the protected females will produce an additional 450m eggs
- Grant funding for 2026 is expected to approach €800,000
More than 60,000 breeding female lobsters weighing nearly 39 tonnes were returned to Irish waters under the Bord Iascaigh Mhara Lobster V-Notching Scheme in 2025. The figure marks the highest annual total since protective legislation was introduced 30 years ago. The milestone surpasses the previous record of 47,000 lobsters set in 2024.
Close to 240 inshore fishers across 92 coastal locations took part in the initiative. The protected lobsters represent 6.5pc of Ireland’s average annual 600-tonne lobster catch. BIM estimates the protected females will produce an additional 450m eggs, assuming each spawns three times after release.
Total grant funding for the 2026 season is on track to match the 2025 figure of roughly €800,000. BIM regional officers cut a small V-shaped mark into a female lobster’s tail flap before returning it to the sea. The notch lasts through roughly three moults, during which it is illegal to land, transport, possess or sell the marked lobster. The scheme compensates fishers up to 100pc of the market price for each lobster V-notched.
