Alan Steer

Our Devon Crabs are sustainably caught in permanent pots anchored deep on the seabed and are proudly harvested by Alan Steer and his crew aboard the Superb-Us out of Dartmouth.

A growing body of restaurateurs is voicing the opinion that West Country Brown Crab now rivals any caught off UK shores, and that is music to the ears of Alan Steer, a third generation shell fisherman who runs the 45-foot Superb-Us out of the historic Devon port of Dartmouth.

“We are hearing that our Crabs are not only larger but have whiter meat than many UK-caught Crabs and we need to spread the word,” he says.

Alan fishes about an hour’s sailing time from Dartmouth and has 10 rows of pots permanently anchored on the seabed at about 60 metres, deeper than many Crab fisheries, which he thinks may account for the quality of his shellfish. Every other day the pots are lifted, emptied, re-baited and returned to the seabed, with any undersized specimens or females with eggs immediately returned to the water. “Sustainability is a priority for us; under the Inshore Potting Agreement, this is my patch and good stewardship is vital for healthy stock levels and good catches,” he says.