© Hans Hillewaert / , via Wikimedia Commons
Blue Marine Foundation has published a study calling for national management of the common whelk. The study shows that whelks are caught before they have the chance to reproduce as whelks reach maturity at different sizes in different areas. In England, the size of maturity varies between 45mm up to 78mm depending on where they are located. It also found that there is very little mixing between stocks around the UK. For more information you can read the full study on the Blue Marine Foundations website here.