Conservation of Scallops Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations lay down certain restrictions on fishing for scallops in the waters within British fishery limits which are adjacent to Northern Ireland.

The Regulations prohibit:—

(a) the use or carriage on board any fishing vessel of a scallop dredge or system of scallop dredges with a width, or in the case of a system of scallop dredges, with an aggregate width, of more than 1219 cms (40 feet);

(b) the use or carriage on board any fishing vessel of a scallop dredge which has more than 9 teeth per dredge or tooth bar;

(c) the use or carriage on board any fishing vessel of a scallop dredge which has a tooth spacing between internal edges of less than 75 mm on the dredge or tooth bar;

(d) the use or carriage on board any fishing vessel of a scallop dredge with belly rings which have a clear opening of less than 75 mm internal diameter;

(e) the use or carriage on board any fishing vessel of a scallop dredge which has a minimum mesh size of less than 100 mm in the netting cover;

(f) the use or carriage on board any fishing vessel of a French dredge;

(g) any person fishing for scallops in waters within British fishery limits which are adjacent to Northern Ireland with more than 8 scallop dredges per side per vessel;

(h) diving for scallops in that part of the waters within British fishery limits which are adjacent to Northern Ireland;

(i) the taking and having on board any vessel of scallops with a minimum size of less than 110 mm in waters within British fishery limits which are adjacent to Northern Ireland; and

(j) the retention on board of scallops which are more than 1% by weight of the total of all catches on board when fishing with a scallop dredge in waters within British fishery limits which are adjacent to Northern Ireland for sea fish other than scallops.

• The Regulations do not apply to any person who is not a British citizen or to any person operating under the authority of and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a fish culture licence or a permit granted by the Department of Agriculture under sections 11 and 14 respectively of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966, as amended.

• Contravention of these Regulations is an offence under section 124(3) of the Act. The penalty is a fine on summary conviction not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000).

• The Department of Agriculture has prepared a compliance cost assessment in relation to the Regulations and a copy of that assessment is held at Fisheries Division, Annexe 5, Castle Grounds, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3PW from where a copy may be obtained on request.