Proposed new fisheries byelaws

New fisheries byelaws - The Background

You may download the earlier consultation documents and view individuals’ responses –

Coarse fish removal by rod and line
Stillwater salmon and brown trout close seasons
Eel and elver net fishing

The consultations generated over 1100 individual responses between them and we are extremely grateful to everyone who took time to send us their views. We considered the principal issues raised through the consultation and used these to modify our proposals. The revised proposals are detailed in the following documents.

Fisheries byelaws - Regional Advisory Committees paper (PDF, 27KB)
Appendix 1 - Removal of fish by rod and line (PDF, 26KB)
Appendix 2 - Close seasons for salmon and brown trout in still waters (PDF, 26KB)
Appendix 3 – National eel byelaws, phase 2 (PDF, 87KB)

Consultation feedback summary

Since then, proposals to regulate eel and elver net fishing have been postponed – the most urgent of these measures are being introduced through separate legislation and we will resume progress with the remainder next year.

More detailed summaries of the response to the consultations can be downloaded –

Coarse fish removal (PDF, 156KB)
Stillwater close season (PDF, 112KB)

In addition, we need to make an additional byelaw and repeal an existing byelaw.

•  In agreement with Natural England, we propose to remove the coarse fish close season from 5 stillwater Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England, where angling is perceived not to affect the conservation value of the sites. We are also removing the close season from 22 enclosed stillwater fisheries which fall within the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads area, but are not part of Broads system;

• The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 prohibits the use of the gaff and tailer as an accessory to angling. Current byelaws that specifically allow these accessories must be repealed.

If you have any queries on these proposals, please e-mail Paul Lidgett.