A surge in overseas demand for whelks is putting the populations of the sea snails at risk of collapse in some places, conservationists warn.
Blue Marine Foundation (Blue) is calling for national management of the common whelk, which are not subject to quotas under European Union fisheries rules.
Increasing numbers of whelks are being landed to satisfy the rising demand from markets such as Korea, Taiwan and Singapore which has pushed up the value of the seafood.
The charity is calling for national management of the common whelk, which are not subject to quotas under European Union fisheries rules.
UK whelk landings increased from 8,400 tonnes in 2003 to 22,700 tonnes in 2016, when they were worth £22.9million.
Whelk fishing has become a popular "displacement fishery", as vessels move away from more highly regulated fish stocks, and also provide a seasonal alternative for crab and lobster fishermen.
Regulations
But a study by fisheries consulting firm MRAG for Blue said the molluscs are being caught before they have had the opportunity to reproduce even once.
The current EU-wide minimum size a whelk must be before it is landed is 45mm (1.8 inches) but in England the edible sea snails mature when they've grown to between 45mm and 78mm (3.1 inches) depending on where they are.
Charles Clover, executive director of Blue, said: "The UK government needs to do more to ensure that non-quota species like whelks are managed sustainably and not overlooked.
"More and more, we are seeing UK fishermen move away from highly regulated fish stocks towards those that have little or no national regulations protecting them.
"Our report shows that strong national management is needed to protect localised whelk stocks, some of which are already at risk of collapse."
