New Bass Regulations
New regulations have been published for the protection of bass. These measures came into force as of 1st January 2018. A summary of the measures is set out on the Marine Management Organisations (MMO) website here. This link provides advice for both recreational and commercial fishers.
The Council Regulation can be found here (please note – the bass measures are found in Article 9).
The MMO regularly monitors data on fishing activity, including bass catch levels, to ensure enforcement is targeted accordingly. It pursues reported breaches in the appropriate way, using a range of sanctions ranging from verbal or written advice through to prosecution in the most serious of cases. Eastern IFCA will continue to work with the MMO in enabling and ensuring compliance with this control measure.
Recreational fishers
Any Bass caught during 2018 must be returned immediately.
This applies if you are fishing from a vessel or from the shore.
The European Commission has determined that bass stocks remain under pressure despite the measures taken in previous years. It has placed further restrictions on the commercial and recreational fishing sectors in order to address this.
Eastern IFCA is working with DEFRA and the MMO to raise awareness of these regulations. These international measures form part of the package of EU regulations to rebuild the fishery.
Please get in touch with the office if you have any queries.