The Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2008 No. 304

Sea Fisheries

The Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Made

11th July 2008

Coming into operation

11th July 2008

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 19(1), 124(1), (2) and (2A) of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 (1) hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and shall come into operation on 11th July 2008.

Amendment of Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993

2.  The Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 (2) shall be amended as follows—

(1) In regulation 2 (Interpretation) for the definition of “suction dredging” substitute—

““suction dredging” means fishing for or the removal from the sea bed of material or fish including shellfish by gear using any solids or water pump, air lift, water jets or air jets or any such mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic device whatsoever; and “suction dredge” shall be construed accordingly.”

(2) In regulation 3 (Prohibition of fishing and fishing methods) –

(a)for sub-paragraph (3)(1)(a) substitute –

“(a)the use of any dredge, any trawl net or any seine net for the capture of sea fish to the westward of an imaginary straight line drawn from Carrickfergus Castle in the County of Antrim to Grey Point in the County of Down, is prohibited”.

(b)sub-paragraph (5)(a) shall be deleted; and

(c)after paragraph (5) there shall be inserted the following –

“(6) The use of any suction dredge for the capture of sea fish in Northern Ireland inshore waters is prohibited.”

Amendment of Razor Shells (Prohibition of Fishing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

3.  The Razor Shells (Prohibition of Fishing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 (3) shall be amended as follows—

(1) In regulation 2 (Interpretation) the definition of “suction dredging” shall be omitted.

(2) In regulation 3 (Prohibition) the words “or suction dredge” shall be omitted in both places where they occur.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on 11th July 2008.

Legal seal

Liam McKibben

A senior officer of the

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

These Regulations amend the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993—

(a)to amend the definition of “suction dredging”; and

(b)to introduce a prohibition on the use of dredges and extend the area to which the prohibition on the use of any trawl net or any seine net applies in Belfast Lough.

The Regulations also make consequential amendments to the Razor Shells (Prohibition of Fishing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.