On Monday, this year's lobster fishing begins. However, there is a significant risk that thousands of lobster pots placed in the water will remain there.
According to the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, more than 4,000 lobster pots are lost each year along the west coast.
To prevent lost pots from continuing to catch lobsters, they must have escape holes since last year. The agency also advises, for example, to ensure that the pot is properly weighted, to keep a distance from pots laid by others – and to keep an eye on the weather forecast and retrieve the pots in time if bad weather is expected.
"The interest in recreational lobster fishing has increased, but we have seen that there is a lack of information on how losses can be avoided," says Charlotta Stadig, investigator at the agency, in a press release.
This year's lobster fishing will continue for recreational fishermen until November 30 and for professional fishermen until the end of the year.