Ormering season returns to the Channel Islands

The ormering season has returned to the Channel Islands this month (January).

An ormer is the local name for what are known worldwide as abalones, which are gastropod molluscs.

The ormer can take between three to four years to grow to 9cm in length, with a fully mature one reaching up to 15.5cm in length.

There are strict rules which fishermen in Jersey and Guernsey must follow.

In Jersey fisherman can:

• Only fish between 1 October and 30 April

• Only on the first day of each new moon and the following three days

• Only possess them for three days on a boat or five days on land

• Not export them from the island unless they are fresh

• The minimum size for ormers is 9cm measured across the broadest part of the shell

In Guernsey fisherman can:

• Only fish between 1 January and 30 April

• Only on first day of each new moon and the following two days

• Have ormers in their possession only on the day of a new moon and the four days following

• The minimum size for ormers is 8cm, measured across the broadest part of the shell

You can read the full regulation here for Jersey and Guernsey.