Two new byelaws have come into effect this week that place restrictions on activities to protect sensitive reef and seagrass around much of the coast of the Isle of Wight.
It’s overseen by the Southern Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority, who are going through the process of updating their byelaws. The implementation of the Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) has brought the updating into clearer focus.
Marine Conservation Zones
The MCZ brought some concerns from Islanders, leading to the then-Minister responsible, Richard Benyon MP, coming to the Island nearly a year ago.
After the meeting we interviewed the Minister who said that Local wisdom would help determine MCZ decisions.
The now-implemented Byelaws can be summarised as:-
- The ‘Bottom Towed Fishing Gear’ Byelaw – Manages trawling and dredging in certain areas around the Island (and other coasts)
- The ‘Prohibition of Gathering (Sea Fisheries Resources) in Seagrass Beds’ byelaw – Applies to bait collectors and hand gatherers working in seagrass beds.
The full details of the Byelaws are embedded below, but OnTheWight has compiled a brief summary of what the restrictions of each of them are.
‘Bottom Towed Fishing Gear’ Byelaw restrictions
- No person shall use any bottom towed fishing gear within a prohibited area.
- No person shall use a vessel carrying bottom towed fishing gear while transiting through a prohibited area unless all parts of that gear are inboard and above the sea.
Gathering in Seagrass Beds’ Byelaw restrictions
-
No person shall dig for, fish for or take any sea fisheries resource in or from the prohibited
areas. -
The prohibition in paragraph 2 does not apply to the fishing for or taking of sea fisheries resources:
- a) by means of a net;
- b) by means of a rod and line; or
- c) by means of a hook and line.
- The prohibition in paragraph 2 does not apply to the fishing for or taking of sea fisheries resources using a vessel, provided that no part of the vessel’s hull is in contact with the seabed.
- No person shall have with them in the prohibited areas any rake, spade, fork or any similar tool.
- The prohibition in paragraph 2 and 3 does not apply above the level of mean high spring water tide.
- This byelaw shall not apply to any person performing an act which would otherwise constitute an offence against this byelaw, if that act was carried out in accordance with a written permission issued by Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority permitting that act for scientific, stocking or breeding purposes.
Simon Pengelly’s comments
Simon Pengelly, Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Officer, for IFCA put the this weeks changes in this way:
From today two Southern IFCAs new Inshore Fisheries and Conservation byelaws are in force to protect sensitive reef and seagrass features in internationally important marine areas.
The byelaws protect the locally and internationally important habitats of seagrass and rocky reef habitats within Marine Protected Areas, in the productive coastal waters of Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight.
The byelaws cover some 25% of these coastal waters and manage 670km2 of seabed.
We see these byelaws as a landmark in the management of inshore fishing activity.
Maps
Below are the maps (click to expand) that show the areas that are affected.
To get a more precise understanding of the exact areas, the Lat / Long points are listed in the Byelaws that we’ve embedded below.
