Recreational Sea Fishing (Bass) Regulations 2016 (No. 2016/278)

Recreational Sea Fishing (Bass) Regulations 2016 Regulation 1 c SD No.2016/278 Page 1 Statutory Document No. 2016/278 c Fisheries Act 2012 RECREATIONAL SEA FISHING (BASS) REGULATIONS 2016 Laid before Tynwald: 15 November 2016 Coming into Operation: 1 December 2016 The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture makes the following Regulations under section 45 of the Fisheries Act 2012. 1 Title These Regulations are the Recreational Sea Fishing (Bass) Regulations 2016. 2 Commencement These Regulations come into operation on 1 December 2016. 3 Interpretation In these Regulations — “the Act” means the Fisheries Act 2012; “bass” means Dicentrarchus labrax; “licence” means a general recreational sea fishing licence granted by the Department under section 45(7)(a) of the Act, which authorises fishing for bass with rod and line; “recreational angler” means a person who, in accordance with a licence, angles with rod and line from the shore, a jetty or a recreational angling vessel; “recreational sea fishing” means angling by rod and line; “recreational angling vessel” means any ship, boat, rig, raft or water craft of any description (whether with or without means of propulsion of any kind), personal water craft, pleasure craft, non-displacement craft or any other thing constructed or adapted for floating on or being submerged in water (whether permanently or temporarily) and anything constructed or used to carry persons by water. Regulation 4 Recreational Sea Fishing (Bass) Regulations 2016 Page 2 SD No.2016/278 c 4 Prohibition of recreational bass fishing except in accordance with licence (1) It is unlawful for any person to engage in recreational fishing for bass in the sea at any time whatsoever, except in accordance with a licence. (2) A licence shall contain, at least, conditions that impose the requirements set out in the Schedule. 5 Offences Any recreational angler who breaches a licence condition that imposes a requirement set out in the Schedule commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,000. MADE 17TH OCTOBER 2016 G BOOT Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture Recreational Sea Fishing (Bass) Regulations 2016 SCHEDULE c SD No.2016/278 Page 3 SCHEDULE REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN LICENCES AS CONDITIONS 1 General restrictions on bass fishing (1) A recreational angler may not take, kill or have in their possession more than one bass (other than imported bass) in any period of 24 hours. (2) Any bass caught which is not permitted to be retained under paragraph (1) shall be carefully handled and returned immediately to the water from which it was taken. 2 Size limits (1) Any bass retained under paragraph 1 shall not — (a) be less than 50 centimetres in length; or (b) exceed 60 centimetres in length, and such length shall be measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail as indicated in Figure 1 below. (2) Any bass caught which does not meet the specified size margins set out in sub-paragraph (1) shall be carefully handled and returned immediately to the water from which it was taken. 3 Taking and killing of bass (1) Any bass retained under paragraphs 1 and 2 above shall be removed from the foreshore, jetty or recreational angling vessel from which it was caught in a whole state. (2) A recreational angler shall not mutilate any bass in an attempt to alter its size. MEASUREMENT OF SEA FISH Fig 1 Explanatory Note Recreational Sea Fishing (Bass) Regulations 2016 Page 4 SD No.2016/278 c EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations set down the conditions where bass may be taken by rod and line in the territorial sea. An exemption is provided where bass have been imported into the Island. The Regulations provide that the conditions attached to the general recreational sea fishing licence include:  a ‘bag limit’ of one bass which may be caught and retained in any period of 24 hours;  a minimum and maximum size limit for bass;  a requirement to release any bass caught which falls outside the minimum or maximum size limits immediately;  any bass retained to be kept in a whole state when removed from the foreshore, jetty or recreational vessel from which it is caught to ensure that the size limits imposed are not compromised by the gutting or filleting of a bass; A provision exists in the Fisheries Act 2012 to prohibit the selling of fish by a recreational angler. An offence for a breach of the conditions set out in the Regulations may attract a penalty of up to £1,000 on summary conviction.