Fisheries (Amendment No. 3) Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Byelaws.)

These Byelaws amend the Fisheries Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the principal Byelaws”).

The principal changes are as follows:

1.  Byelaws 3 and 7 introduce a concessionary season fishing rod licence for disabled anglers, women who have attained the age of 60 years and men who have attained the age of 65 years, and a juvenile season fishing rod licence for persons who have attained the age of 12 years but not 19 years. The concessionary season fishing rod licence replaces the disabled angler’s season game and season coarse fishing rod licences introduced by the Fisheries (Amendment) Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 2001 (S.R. 2001 No. 433). The duty for the concessionary season fishing rod licence is £5·00 compared to £9·50 for the disabled angler’s game season rod licence and £3·50 for the disabled angler’s game coarse rod licence.

2.  Byelaw 4 reduces from 18 years to 12 years, the age under which persons are exempted from the requirement to hold a fishing rod licence.

3.  Byelaw 6 replaces the requirement for any person who takes a salmon in Lough Melvin during the period from 1st February to 31st May to return it immediately to the water without avoidable injury with a requirement to return to the water any salmon taken in excess of one on any day during that period.

4.  Byelaw 7 also–

(a) replaces the eight day game fishing rod licence with a fourteen day fishing rod licence. The licence duty is unchanged;

(b) replaces the one day game fishing rod licence with a three day game fishing rod licence. The licence duty for the three day rod licence is £5·00 compared to £4·00 for the one day rod licence;

(c) replaces the eight day coarse fishing rod licence with a fourteen day coarse fishing rod licence. The licence duty is unchanged;

(d) reduces the additional amount payable by the holder of a Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission game season fishing rod and line licence from £17.50 to £1·00.

5.  Byelaw 8 designates two waters as rainbow trout waters for the purposes of Byelaw 76 of the principal Byelaws, which provides that there shall be no close season for angling for rainbow trout in waters so designated.