The Scallop Fishing Order 2004

Specification of scallop dredges

4.—(1) No British fishing boat shall carry or tow a scallop dredge within relevant British fishery limits unless the dredge conforms to all of the following specifications—

(a) where the dredge measures 80 centimetres or more in breadth, it shall not have—

(i) more than 8 rows of belly rings hanging from the belly bar;

(ii) more than 9 teeth on the tooth bar, where either—

(aa) the fishing boat in question is not in the relevant area; or

(bb) all of the teeth measure 12 millimetres or less;

(iii) more than 8 teeth on the tooth bar, where—

(aa) the fishing boat in question is in the relevant area; and

(bb) any of the teeth measure more than 12 millimetres;

(b) where the dredge measures less than 80 centimetres in breadth, it shall not have—

(i) more than 6 rows of belly rings hanging from the belly bar; or

(ii) more than 6 teeth on the tooth bar;

(c) it shall not contain more than 1 row of belly rings hanging from either side of the dredge perpendicular to the rings which hang from the belly bar;

(d) each tooth on the tooth bar shall not measure more than—

(i) 22 millimetres where the dredge measures 80 centimetres or more in breadth; or

(ii) 12 millimetres where the dredge measures less than 80 centimetres in breadth.

(2) In this article—

(a) a row of belly rings is a line of single interconnecting rings, where the ring at one end of the line hangs either from the belly bar or from the main structure of the dredge perpendicular to the belly bar;

(b) a belly bar is the bar attached to the frame of the dredge which runs parallel to the tooth bar and from which most of the belly rings ultimately hang;

(c) a tooth bar is the bar to which are attached teeth, the ends of which point downwards and are dragged along the sea bed when the dredge is towed;

(d) the size of a tooth shall be its maximum width measured in the direction of the line of the tooth bar;

(e) “the relevant area” means the part of ICES division VII a which is north of the line 52° 30− N, and all of ICES division VII d.