PRESS RELEASE
‘HUGE 101 YEAR WIN FOR CORNISH NATIVE OYSTERS ON THE FAL FISHERY’
On 18th August 2025, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) signed a proposal to increase the ‘minimum landing size’ (MLS) of wild native oysters (Ostrea edulis) harvested from the Fal Fishery, Cornwall, the first increase to the MLS since 1924.
In 1924 the MLS for native oysters on the Fal Fishery, stated ‘an oyster must not pass through a circular gauge of 2 ½ inch’, increased from 2” ½ to 2” 5/8ths (66.7mm). In 2016, when Cornwall Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (CIFCA) became the new regulatory authority and changed the MLS from 66.7mm to 67mm for metric measurement, but also added the words “when laid flat across the aperture”, meaning the shell was now measured by its longest length, rather than shortest width, effectively reducing the MLS and bringing the regulations in line with previously illegal ways to measure the oysters.
One oysterman and merchant, Chris Ranger, known as ‘Ranger’, has been campaigning for an increase to the MLS since starting in the industry in 2008, stating “chefs do not want oysters that weigh less than 70g, so why are these gathered and sold on to other fisheries, when our own stocks are collapsing”, but some other oystermen stated they needed this MLS as the landings were poor, especially when the market paid per kilo…
But it wasn’t until 2017, when Chris attended a World Oyster Symposium at University of Bangor in North Wales, where scientists and industry members from around the world, spoke about the “critically endangered species having lost 85-95% of its biomass globally”, that he changed his focus from ‘what chefs wanted, to what was critical for the globally declining species’, and in 2019 decided to set up the ‘Fal Fishery Cooperative Community Interest Company (CIC)’, to bridge the scientific research gap between the sailing fleet and the regulatory authority, and to continue the research he had conducted on the growth and reproduction, data which CIFCA refused to accept from an individual.
Thanks to funding from the Co-op Foundation in 2022, the CIC members were able to store their catch of juvenile natives, the juveniles were greater than 67mm length, but weighed less than 75g. Chris Ranger said “The data collected from my +10 years research showed that with just 18-30 months more growing time on the fishery, only one or two fishing seasons, the native oyster would not only go from 2-3yrs olds weighing 40-50g to 4-5yr olds weighing 70-90g, but also critically improve the recruitment of larvae and spat by as much as four times that of those oysters taken before they have effectively reproduced”
In mid 2022 CIFCA resigned as secretary from the ‘Fal Fishery Management Committee (FFMC)’, a committee of seven industry and seven authorities, which left the industry with no voice in management matters relating to the fishery. In late 2022 Matt Slater from Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Chris Ranger got together to form a new committee, invited previous committee members, and held a ‘General Meeting’ for all licence holders and anyone with an interest in the age-old heritage industry. It was well attended and mutually agreed that a voice was important, and so a new committee was formed, members put their names forward, were elected, and then appointed a new chair, vice-chair and secretary. But Chris Ranger insisted “there must be a major change to the Terms of Reference for the committee to succeed where the previous one failed, and it was agreed that any voting must accept a ‘majority’ rather than requiring a ‘unanimous’ vote from the seven industry members”.
In July 2023, the new FFMC held an ‘Extraordinary Committee Meeting’ to discuss one topic of importance, the declining stocks and how to reverse that. The committee agreed the only way was to increase the MLS and proposed a 5mm increase from 67mm to 72mm, which was won by a majority vote. This, along with what CIFCA called the "informal" (industry) consultation, with 48% in favour and 52% against, was then presented to CIFCA main committee in December, and they agreed to consider the proposal brought by the FFMC, but announced there must be a "formal" (public) consultation, which CIFCA held in February 2024, with a 78% in favour and 22% against, so the proposal was then submitted by CIFCA to DEFRA in April 2024.
Chris Ranger said “Obviously the General Election in July meant there was a bit of a delay, which is a shame as it would have been great to change the MLS 100 years from the last increase, but Jayne Kirkham MP for Truro & Falmouth, has been fantastic at following this up for us, and I will take 101 years, as it is desperately needed, for the sake of the critically endangered species, the unique environment, and of course the iconic heritage sailing fleet, just 5mm represented 10-12% of the weight or revenue to oyster gatherers, but a massive 25-28% of the oysters landed or sold on, I have no doubts, if the regulation is enforced by CIFCA, that in a few years there will be a much better biomass, and hopefully a more sustainable and viable industry for future generations.”
Chris Ranger, Oysterman and Merchant
Secretariat – Fal Fishery Management Committee - falfisherymanagementcommittee@gmail.com
Founding Director – Fal Fishery Cooperative CIC – ffmc@falfisherycooperativecic.org
ENDS