Foyle Area and Carlingford Area (Angling) Regulations 2001

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Foyle Area and Carlingford Area (Angling) Regulations 2001 and shall come into operation on 14th May 2001.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

“angling” means the angling for, taking or killing of fish by rod and line;

“angling for coarse fish” means the use of a single rod, reel (including a fixed spool reel) line and hook to take fish other than salmonids where the length of the line to which the hook is attached has a breaking strain of less than 2.0 kg and the gape of the hook does not exceed 4 mm;

“ bait fishing” means angling with rod and line and one single hook baited with one or more earthworms;

“coarse fish” means any fish other than salmon, trout or rainbow trout;

“earthworm” means any worm of the Family Lumbricidae;

“fly fishing” means the use of a single rod, reel, fly line or blow line and a single cast carrying not more than 3 artificial or winged natural flies;

“foul hook” means the hooking of fish in any part of the body other than in the mouth;

“gape” in relation to a fishing hook means the distance when the hook is normally aligned between the point of the hook and the shank of the hook;

“ground bait” means any material used other than on a hook for the purpose of attracting fish whilst angling;

“hook” means a hook attached to a fishing line;

“length” in relation to fish means the measurement from the tip of the snout to the fork or cleft of the tail;

“maggots” means any larvae of the Order Diptera including the housefly of the Family Muscidae, and the blue bottle or blow fly of the Family Calliphoridae;

“night fishing” means fishing between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise;

“prawns” means those members of the Class Crustacea commonly known as prawns (whether fresh or preserved, dyed or natural colour) and any part thereof;

“salmonids” means a fish of the Family Salmonidae, including salmon, sea trout, rainbow trout and brown trout;

“shrimps” means those members of the Class Crustacea commonly known as shrimps (whether fresh or preserved, dyed or natural colour) and any part thereof;

“snatch” means to foul hook any fish deliberately; and

“spinning” means the use of a single rod, reel (including a fixed spool reel) and line designed to cast or throw an artificial or natural bait and retrieve the bait by rewinding the line onto the drum of the reel with the bait kept in motion throughout.

Methods of angling

3.  Subject to regulation 4(2) a person shall not in any waters specified in column (1) of Schedule 1 angle for fish except by a method specified in column (2) of that Schedule opposite the reference to those waters.

Prohibitions and restrictions

4.—(1) A person shall not angle for fish in any waters of the River Roe, the River Faughan, the River Mourne described in Schedule 2.

(2) A person shall not in any waters in the Foyle Area or the Carlingford Area use any type of float, or a similar device, designed to suspend a bait or lure in water other than—

(a) while angling for coarse fish; or

(b) in conjunction with a single artificial fly while angling for salmonids.

(3) A person shall not in any waters of the Foyle Area or the Carlingford Area snatch or attempt to snatch salmon with any kind of hook or combination of hooks whether or not covered in part or in whole with any matter or thing and whether or not used with a rod and line.

Restrictions on bait

5.—(1) A person shall not use prawns or shrimps as a bait while angling in any waters in the Foyle Area or the Carlingford Area.

(2) A person shall not use any matter of vegetable origin or maggots or earthworms as a bait while spinning in any waters of the Foyle Area or the Carlingford Area.

(3) A person shall not use ground bait—

(a) while angling for any fish in the waters described in column (1) of Schedule 1;

(b) while angling for fish other than coarse fish in the waters described in Schedule 3.

Restrictions on use of boats

6.—(1) A person shall not use a boat for the purpose of angling on Lough Ash, Lough Bradan, Lough Lee in County Tyrone or on the waters of Binevenagh Dam in County Londonderry.

(2) A person shall not use a mechanically propelled boat for the purpose of angling on Moorlough in County Tyrone.

Restrictions on number and size

7.—(1) A person shall not take by rod and line and retain—

(a) a salmonid of a length less than 25.4 cm;

(b) more than 4 salmonids on any one day.

(2) Where a person takes by rod and line any salmonid of less than the minimum length specified in paragraph (1)(a) or a salmonid in excess of the maximum number specified in paragraph (1)(b) he shall return the salmonid to the water without avoidable injury.

Revocation

8.  The Foyle Area (Angling) Regulations 1999(1) are hereby revoked.

Given under the Seal of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission on 6th April 2001.

L.S.

R. J. D. Anderson

Chief Executive of the Loughs Agency

Approved by the North/South Ministerial Council on 6th April 2001.

T. P. O'Connor

Joint Secretary of the North/South Ministerial Council

D. MacKenzie

Joint Secretary of the North/South Ministerial Council

being persons authorised by the North/South Ministerial Council to signify approval on its behalf.