2018 No. 849
Sea Fisheries

The Sea Fishing (Enforcement) Regulations 2018

Made
Laid before Parliament
Coming into force
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2(2) of, and paragraph 1A of Schedule 2 to, the European Communities Act 19721 (“the 1972 Act”).
The Secretary of State is designated for the purposes of the 1972 Act in relation to the common agricultural policy2.

These Regulations make provision for a purpose mentioned in section 2(2) of the 1972 Act and it appears to the Secretary of State that it is expedient for the references to Articles of the EU instruments listed in the Schedule to these Regulations to be construed as a reference to those Articles as amended from time to time.

Citation, commencement, and extent1.

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Sea Fishing (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 and come into force on 20th August 2018.

(2)

These Regulations extend to Great Britain.

Powers of inshore fisheries and conservation officers2.

(1)

An inshore fisheries and conservation officer (“IFC officer”) appointed under section 165(1) of the 2009 Act has the powers referred to in section 166(3) of the 2009 Act for the purpose of enforcing the EU fisheries conservation measures.

(2)

In paragraph (1), “EU fisheries conservation measures” means the Articles of the EU instruments, as amended from time to time, specified in the Schedule.

(3)

Section 166(4) to (9) of the 2009 Act applies to the powers which an IFC officer has for the purpose mentioned in paragraph (1) as it applies to the powers which an IFC officer has for the purposes specified in section 166(1) of the 2009 Act.

(4)

In this regulation, “the 2009 Act” means the Marine and Coastal Access Act 20093.
George Eustice
Minister of State
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

SCHEDULEEU fisheries conservation measures

Regulation 2(1)

Provision

Subject matter

Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3440/84 on the attachment of devices to trawls, Danish seines and similar nets4

Articles 4 to 15

Restrictions on the use of devices attached to nets

Council Regulation (EC) No 894/97, laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources5

Articles 11, 11a and 11b

Restrictions on the use of drift nets

Council Regulation (EC) No 850/98 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms6

Article 4(1) and (2)

Requirements relating to the mesh sizes of towed nets

Article 4(3)

Prohibition of fishing in certain areas without completing a logbook unless using certain towed nets

Article 4(4)

Prohibition of landing unless nets with certain mesh sizes used

Article 5(3)

Prohibition of transhipment of marine organisms without completing a logbook

Article 6

Restriction on the number of meshes in certain towed gear

Article 7

Restriction of use of square mesh panels in specified towed gear

Article 8

Restrictions relating to the twine thickness of towed nets

Article 9

Restrictions on the carriage or use of towed nets constructed wholly or in part of netting other than types specified

Article 10

Restriction on the transhipment of marine organisms during any voyage when dredges are carried on board

Article 11

Restriction on the use or keeping on board of specified fixed nets

Article 11a

Requirement to use 400 millimetre minimum mesh size for bottom set gillnets in certain areas when used to catch turbot

Article 14

Requirement to sort catches immediately after removal from nets

Article 15(1)

Prohibition of the landing of marine organisms subject to the landing obligation which are caught in excess of specified percentages or quantities

Article 15(2)

Prohibition of the retention of marine organisms not subject to the landing obligation in excess of specified percentages

Article 16

Prohibition of the use of devices that obstruct nets

Article 18(3)

Prohibition of the retention and landing of lobsters, crawfish, and bivalve and gastropod molluscs unless they are whole

Article 18(4)

Restriction on the retention and landing of catches of detached crab claws made by pots or creels and other fishing gear

Article 19

Prohibition of the retention, transhipment, landing, transport, storage, sale, offer for sale and display of undersized fish

Article 19a

Prohibition of the discarding of certain species in certain areas

Article 19b

Restrictions on fishing for mackerel, herring and horse mackerel in certain areas

Articles 20 and 20a

Restrictions on landing and retaining on board herring in specified waters during specified times

Article 21

Restrictions on retaining on board sprat in specified waters during specified times

Article 22

Restrictions on retaining on board mackerel in specified waters during specified times

Article 23

Restrictions on retaining on board anchovy

Article 25

Restrictions on retaining on board shrimps

Article 26

Restrictions on the retention, transhipment, landing, transport storage, sale, offer for sale and display of salmon and sea trout caught using towed nets or within specified waters

Article 27

Prohibition of the retaining on board Norway pout caught using towed gear in specified waters

Article 28

Restrictions on fishing for hake using specified towed nets in specified waters during specified times

Article 29

Restrictions on the fishing for plaice by certain vessels using specified towed gear in specified waters

Article 29a

Restrictions on landing and retaining on board sand eel

Article 29b

Restrictions on fishing for Norway lobster

Article 29c

Restrictions on fishing for Rockall haddock in certain areas

Article 29d and 29e

Restrictions on fishing for cod, haddock and whiting in certain areas

Article 29f

Restrictions on retaining on board blue ling in certain areas

Article 30

Restrictions on the use and having on board of certain demersal towed gear

Article 31

Prohibition of the use of explosives, poisonous or stupefying substances or electric current (except certain electrical fishing specified in Article 31a) and on the sale, display or offer for sale of marine organisms caught using methods incorporating the use of any kind of projectile

Article 32

Restrictions on the carriage or use on board of automatic grading equipment

Article 34

Restrictions on the use of beam trawls within 12 miles of the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland

Article 36

Prohibition of the landing, retention on board, transhipment, storage, transport, sale, display or offer for sale of salmon and sea trout caught within any part of the Skagerrak and Kattegat situated outside the four-mile limit measured from the baselines of Member States

Article 37(1)

Restrictions on the use of certain trawls within 3 miles of the baselines in the Skagerrak and Kattegat during specified periods

Article 39

Prohibition of the use of beam trawls in the Kattegat

Article 40

Prohibition, during the periods and in the areas referred to in Articles 37 and 39 where trawls or beam trawls may not be used, of carrying on board such nets unless they are lashed and stowed in accordance with the provisions laid down in Article 20(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy7

Article 42(1)

Prohibition of the processing on board, or transhipment for processing, of fish (except offal) to produce fish-meal, fish-oil, or similar products

Council Regulation (EC) No 2549/2000 establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of stock of cod in the Irish Sea (ICES Division VIIa)8

Article 2

Prohibition on fishing in the Irish Sea with specified towed nets

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2056/2001 establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of stocks of cod in the North Sea and to the west of the coast of Scotland9

Article 4

Requirements relating to demersal towed nets and to catch composition

Article 5

Prohibition of the use of certain demersal towed nets and the carrying on board and use of certain beam trawls

Article 6

Prohibition of the use of certain beam trawls in specified areas

Article 7

Prohibition of the retention on board of cod in excess of a specified percentage by weight and caught by specified fixed gear

Article 8

Prohibition of the use of certain demersal towed nets in specified areas

Article 9a

Requirements on the landing of catches

Commission Regulation (EC) No 494/2002 establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of the stock of hake in ICES sub-areas III, IV, V, VI, and VII and ICES divisions VIII a, b, d, e10

Article 2

Prohibition on the retention on board of hake in excess of specified percentages of the total catch

Article 3

Prohibition of the use of certain towed nets within specified areas, and prohibition of the use of certain other towed nets

Article 4

Prohibition of the use of certain beam trawls within specified areas

Council Regulation (EC) No 1185/2003on the removal of fins of sharks on board vessels11

Article 3

Prohibition of the removal or retention on board, or transhipment, landing, purchase, offer for sale or sale of shark fins

Council Regulation (EC) No 812/2004 laying down measures concerning incidental catches of cetaceans in fisheries12

Article 2

Prohibition of the use of specified fishing gear without the simultaneous use of active acoustic deterrent devices

Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy13

Article 8

Restrictions on the marking of fishing gears

Article 20

Prohibition of transhipment at sea

Article 42

Restrictions on transhipment in port by vessels engaged in fisheries subject to a multiannual plan

Article 44

Requirements on the stowage of demersal catches subject to multiannual plans

Article 47

Restrictions on carriage of fishing gear of multiple types

Article 48

Requirements relating to the retrieval of fishing gear lost at sea

Article 49a

Requirements on the stowage of catches below the minimum conservation reference size

Article 49c

Requirements on the landing of catches below the minimum conservation reference size

Council Regulation (EU) 2016/1627 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a multiannual recovery plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean14

Article 19(1)

Prohibition of sport and recreational fishing of bluefin tuna without an authorisation issued by the Member State

Council Regulation (EU) 2018/120 fixing for 2018 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Union waters and, for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-Union waters15

Articles 9(1),(2) and (3)

Prohibition in specified waters of the fishing (including by commercial fisheries from shore) for European sea bass and of the retention, transhipment, relocation or landing of European sea bass caught in certain areas, subject to derogations setting catch limits in specified waters for certain fishing vessels with previously recorded catches of European sea bass using specified gear

Article 9(4)

Restrictions in specified waters on the recreational fishing (including from shore) of European sea bass and the prohibition of the retention, relocation, transhipment or landing of European sea bass caught in certain areas

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations confer on inshore fisheries and conservation officers the enforcement powers in section 166(3) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23) (“the 2009 Act”) in relation to EU fisheries conservation measures listed in the Schedule, as amended from time to time (see regulation 2(2)). Amending measures affecting the EU fisheries conservation measures may be found on Eur-Lex (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html). Regulation 2(3) provides that these enforcement powers may be exercised in accordance with section 166(4) to (9) of the 2009 Act for the purposes of the specified fisheries conservation measures as they may be exercised for the purposes specified in section 166(1) of that Act.

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.