An expanded prawn quota could be implemented in the island’s waters as part of efforts to diversify the fishing sector.

Currently, the Manx Fish Producers’ Organisation is allowed to fish 60 tonnes of prawns a year.

David Beard, chief executive at Manx Fish Producers’ Organisation, said: ‘The problem with relying on the five non-quota species is they are seasonal and so there are some times in the year where we have no fishing opportunities especially in June and October.’

He added: ‘We would need sufficient quota to be able to make that worthwhile and would need to spend large amounts of money to adapt the boats to fish for prawns.’

Jack Emmerson, the Department for the Environment, Food and Agriculture’s sea fisheries policy manager, said: ‘The nephrops stock to the west of the Isle of Man, in the mud belt there, is actually the largest population of nephrops in the world, and the scientific advice for the stock there is between 8,000 and 10,000 tonnes to be fished per year, and we reckon about a third of that is in the Isle of Man’s territory.’

Nephrops are also known as Dublin prawns.

Each species of fish or seafood is set a total allowable catch, typically by weight for a given time period, of which a dedicated portion is allocated to groups.

Mr Beard said: ‘We get very few quota allocations, in relation to the UK we are quite a small organisation, and if you don’t have the quota, you’re not allowed to fish.’