Catch · observe · return
A joyful, welfare-first guide to family crabbing—what to pack, how to keep children safe, and how to send every crab home well.
Hook-free bait bag
Cool water and shade
Gentle return at the waterline
The Cornwall crabbing code
This is the welfare-first code used by Cornish marine groups. Make it the family challenge: can everyone remember all six?
Use a large bucket and replace the water regularly so it stays cool and oxygenated.
A weighted, hook-free line with a secure net bait bag is all a crab needs to hold on.
Keep no more than three crabs in one bucket and give them plenty of space.
Sun warms shallow water quickly. Put the bucket in deep shade, away from hot concrete.
If claws come out, return one crab immediately rather than letting stress become injury.
Carry the bucket down and lower each crab gently into the sea—never drop it from a wall.
From car park to release
Good crabbing feels unhurried. Use these four stages to give children a clear job without losing sight of the water.
Before you leave
A familiar harbour or quay in calm weather is a better family mark than an exposed edge with a dramatic view.
Pack light. Pack kind.
Tap each item as it goes in the bag. A hook is deliberately not on this list.
The adult’s one job
Stay close enough to reach the child, keep the waterside edge clear, and watch the water throughout the session.
Spot your catch
Colour varies, so look at shape, eyes and back legs. If you are unsure, admire the crab briefly and return it gently.
Crab card 01Carcinus maenas
Look for: Five points beside each eye and a colour that can run from green to orange or dark brown.
The classic harbour catch: adaptable, quick and often the first crab a child meets.
Crab card 02Cancer pagurus
Look for: A broad reddish-brown shell with a neat pie-crust edge and heavy black-tipped claws.
A powerful crab best admired in the water. This family guide is catch-and-return, whatever its size.
Crab card 03Necora puber
Look for: Bright red eyes, blue markings and flattened back legs that work like paddles.
Fast and defensive. Give it space, keep fingers clear and return it promptly if it raises its claws.
Our family rule: all crabs go home. Legal minimum sizes apply if anyone intends to retain shellfish, and local rules vary—check Cornwall IFCA first.
Explore shellfish
Best view in the house
Watching a crab in the water is safer for everyone.
Handling without the drama
Children do not need to pick up a crab to enjoy it. Watch how it walks, count its legs, compare colours and take a photograph over the bucket.
Keep the crab low over water, stay behind the claws, support the shell securely and make the move brief. Never lift it by a leg or claw.
Do not handle or keep it in the bucket. Return it gently and immediately. The same applies to any injured or very soft crab.
Family safety
Harbours are working places with deep water, slippery edges and moving boats. A calm day still needs active adult supervision.
Stay close enough to reach a child and keep everyone standing back from unguarded edges. Supervision is an active job.
A familiar spot changes with tide, swell, rain and wind. Leave if the water or footing no longer feels easy to manage.
Permission, boat movements and local restrictions vary. Keep lines clear of people, moorings and working vessels.
Carry a charged phone. At the UK coast, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard in an emergency.
Plan the rest of the day
Choose the kit
Compare lines, bait bags, buckets and nets before buying anything.
Read the guideBait that works
Use strong-smelling bait securely, without a hook or loose scraps.
Read the guidePick the moment
Understand tides, seasons and the signs of a suitable family location.
Read the guideStraight answers
Use a hook-free bait bag, keep no more than three crabs in a large shaded bucket of frequently refreshed seawater, handle them as little as possible and return every crab gently at the waterline.
The Cornish crabbing code recommends no more than three crabs in one large bucket. Return a crab immediately if the bucket is crowded or the animals begin fighting.
There is no need. Put strong-smelling bait in a secure net bait bag on a weighted hand line. A small landing net beneath the line helps lift the crab without a hook.
Choose a calm, familiar harbour or quay where crabbing is permitted, with a broad working area and a barrier or clearly protected edge. Check local signs, tide and weather, and keep an adult within reach of every child.
Carry the bucket to a safe waterline and lower the crabs gently into shallow seawater. Never throw or drop them from a harbour wall, and take all line, bait and rubbish home.
How this guide was checked
The six-point code follows Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s guidance, developed from the Looe crabbing code. Legal notes were checked against Cornwall IFCA, and family safety advice against the RNLI. Last reviewed 12 September 2026.
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