Limits of the District
So much of the sea within six nautical miles from the baselines* from which the breadth of the territorial sea of the United Kingdom adjacent to England is measured, with the adjoining coast, as lies within the following limits namely:
On the North, a line drawn seaward true east from the control tower at the Royal Air Force Gunnery and Bombing Range at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire to the limit of the district above described (being the southern boundary of the North-Eastern Sea Fisheries District); and on the south, commencing at the point at which a line drawn seaward along the northern edge of the causeway situated opposite Lower Marine Parade at Dovercourt in the county of Essex intersects the line of mean low water, a line drawn seaward on a bearing 100 degrees true to the limit of the district above described, and a line drawn northward from the said intersection along the boundary of the administrative county of Essex to its intersection with a line drawn across the River Stour, along the seaward side of the railway bridge at Cattawade (being the northern boundary of the Kent & Essex Sea Fisheries District).
Provided that a line shall be drawn at or near the mouth of every river or stream flowing into the sea or into any estuary within such limits as follows:
A line at or near the mouth of the River Ouse and of the New Bedford River, drawn along the Denver Sluice, and continued in a true westerly direction from the westernmost extremity of such sluice until it reaches high-water mark on the left bank of the said New Bedford River;
A line drawn across the River Bure, near its
confluence with the River Yare, along the seaward side of the bridge carrying
the A47 road at Great Yarmouth;
A line drawn across the River Yare near its confluence with Breydon Water
along the seaward side of the site of the former Breydon railway viaduct at
Great Yarmouth, as defined by the bridge buttresses;
A line drawn across Lake Lothing following the double bascule lifting bridge carrying the A12 road at Lowestoft;
A line drawn across the River Blyth following the bridge carrying the A12 road at Blythburgh;
A line drawn across the River Alde following the bridge carrying the B1069 road at Snape;
A line drawn across the River Butley at the highest point to which ordinary tides flow, including Butley Creek;
A line drawn across the River Deben following the bridge carrying the A1152 road at Melton;
A line drawn across the River Orwell following the bridge carrying the A137 road at Ipswich;
A line drawn across the River Stour following
the bridge carrying the railway at Cattawade;
A straight line across every such river or stream not herein-before specified,
such line being drawn at the highest point to which ordinary tides flow into
such rivers or streams respectively;
And such lines shall be the lines above which the Sea Fisheries District shall not extend into any such river or stream.
* “the baselines” means the
baselines as they existed at 25th January 1983 in accordance with the Territorial
Waters Order in Council 1964 as amended by the Territorial Waters (Amendment)
Order in Council 1979.
Byelaws
BYELAW 1:-REVOCATION OF EXISTING BYELAWS
“All byelaws heretofore in force in the Eastern Sea Fisheries District are hereby revoked and the following byelaws are substituted therefore ; provided that nothing in such revocation shall affect any penalty, forfeiture or punishment incurred in respect of any offence committed against any byelaws so revoked.”
BYELAW 2:- APPLICATION AND SAVING FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES
“All byelaws shall apply to the whole area of the Eastern Sea Fisheries District unless otherwise specified except :
(a) in the cases to which the provision of
Section 6 of the Sea Fisheries Regulation Act 1966 apply ; and
(b) to any person bona fide fishing for seafish for scientific or for stocking
or breeding purposes, under the written authority in that behalf of the Joint
Committee, signed by their Clerk, or the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries
and Food, and in accordance with the conditions contained in that authority.”
BYELAW 3:- MOLLUSCAN SHELLFISH METHODS OF FISHING
“No person shall fish for oysters, mussels, cockles, clams, scallops or queens except :
(a) by hand ; or
(b) with a hand rake ; or
(c) within that part of the District contained within the boundaries of the Wash Fishery Order 1992, under the provisions of a licence issued under the said Order ; or
(d) With an instrument or fishing gear under the authority of a certificate of approval issued by the Committee signed by their Clerk for the instrument or fishing gear.
A certificate of approval shall be available to all applicants who fulfil the conditions of this byelaw.
A certificate of approval will not be granted if the instrument or fishing gear results in more than 10% by weight of the target species being smashed.
A certificate of approval will not be granted if the Committee has been advised by scientists who appear to them to be suitably qualified that the use of the instrument or fishing gear would result in unacceptable damage to associated flora and fauna in the benthic community.
The certificate of approval will be valid until 31 December following.
Approval will take account of the performance and assessment during inspection of the instrument or fishing gear whilst in operation, or that of a similar design, during the preceding 12 months. New instruments or fishing gear may be given a provisional certificate of approval for a period of one month in order to permit assessment.
BYELAW 4:- MUSSELS (Mytilus edulis) - MINIMUM SIZES
“No person shall remove from any fishery, or from one part of a fishery to another part thereof, any mussel (Mytilus edulis) less than 50 mm in length but shall return such shellfish to the sea immediately, except that this byelaw shall not apply within that part of the District contained within the boundaries of the Wash Fishery Order 1992, where the minimum sizes shall be determined by regulations made under the said Order.”
BYELAW 5:- PROHIBITION ON USE OF EDIBLE CRAB (Cancer pagurus) FOR BAIT
“No person shall use any edible crab (Cancer pagurus) for bait. Section 17 (2) of the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967, which affords a defence to a person charged with an offence under Section 17 (1) of that Act, shall not apply within the District.”
BYELAW 6:- BERRIED (egg-bearing) OR SOFT SHELLED CRAB (Cancer pagurus) OR LOBSTER (Homarus gammarus)
“No person shall remove from any fishery any edible crab (Cancer pagurus)or lobster (Homarus gammarus) which is soft-shelled or berried (egg-bearing) but shall return such shellfish to the sea immediately.”
BYELAW 7:- PARTS OF SHELLFISH
“No person shall remove from any fishery any edible crab (Cancer pagurus) or part thereof, or velvet crab (Necora puber) or part thereof, or lobster (Homarus gammarus) or part thereof, which cannot be measured to ensure compliance with the Undersized Crabs Order 1986, the Undersized Velvet Crabs Order 1989, or the Undersized Lobsters Order 1993 or any Statutory Instrument whereby the same may be superseded but shall return such shellfish to the sea immediately.
BYELAW 8:- TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF SHELLFISH FISHERIES
(a) “The Committee may, for the purpose of protection of the fishery, fishery management and controlling the level of exploitation, and after consultation with persons or bodies appearing to them to represent local fisheries interests, close for a specifiable period any shellfish fishery, or part thereof, provided the Committee has been advised by fishery scientists who appear to them to be suitably qualified, as to the need for such action.
(b) No person shall, without the consent of the Committee, under the written authority in that behalf signed by their Clerk, remove, take or disturb any shellfish from any fishery, or part thereof, which, in the opinion of the Committee is severely depleted, contains mainly immature or transplanted shellfish, or which is closed to fishing for management of the fishery purposes, so that it ought not to be disturbed for the time being.
(c) Where the Committee is of such opinion and it is practicable to do so, the Committee shall cause notices to be displayed in the vicinity of the shellfish fishery, or part thereof clearly defining the area in which shellfish shall not be removed or disturbed without the consent of the Committee, and where the display of such notices is not practicable, notice shall be given by publishing the same in a newspaper circulating in the district in which the shellfish fishery is situated.”
BYELAW 9:- RE-DEPOSITING OF SHELLFISH
“Any person who takes any shellfish, the removal of which from a fishery is prohibited by any of the byelaws, or the possession or sale of which is prohibited by, or in pursuance of, any Act of Parliament or Statutory Instrument, shall return such shellfish to the sea immediately, as nearly as possible in the place from which they were taken, or in the case of molluscan shellfish if this is physically not possible as directed by the Committee in any other designated area. In re-depositing such molluscan shellfish in accordance with the byelaws they shall spread thinly and evenly upon the beds the riddlings, sortings and siftings arising from the use of a riddle or other like instrument.”
BYELAW 10:- WHITEFOOTED EDIBLE CRAB (Cancer pagurus)
“Between the 1st day of November and the 30th day of June following (both days inclusive) no person shall remove from a fishery any edible crab (Cancer pagurus) of the kind known as ‘whitefooted’ crab
BYELAW 11:- DEVELOPMENT OF SHELLFISH FISHERIES
“No person shall use any vessel in fishing for shellfish unless, if the Committee so require, the skipper, owner or charterer has undertaken to provide and does provide to the Committee for the purpose of development of the fisheries, a record for any specified daily period of actual catch taken, area fished, fishing effort (time and method) and any other information required by the Committee to effectively manage and develop the potential of the fisheries.
BYELAW 12:- INSHORE TRAWLING RESTRICTION
“No person shall in fishing for seafish in that part of the District which lies within three nautical miles from the 1983 baselines use any kind of trawl net provided that this byelaw shall not apply to the use by any person of a trawl net in the following circumstances;
(a) in connection with a vessel whose overall length does not exceed 15.24 metres in the area between a line drawn True East from the control tower at the Royal Air Force Gunnery and Bombing Range at Donna Nook in the County of Lincolnshire (Latitude 53o28.22'N, Longitude 0o09.24'E) being the northern extremity of the District to a line drawn True North from Blakeney Church in the County of Norfolk (Latitude 52º57.05'N, Longitude 01º01.60'E) or,
(b) in connection with a vessel whose overall length does not exceed 15.24 metres in the area between a line drawn True North East from Mundesley Church in the County of Norfolk (Latitude 52o52.50'N Longitude 01o26.15'E) to the northern edge of the causeway (Latitude 51o55.76'N Longitude 01o16.90'E) situated opposite Lower Marine Parade at Dovercourt in the County of Essex to where it intersects the line of mean low water and thence drawn seaward on a bearing 100o True, being the southern extremity of the District.
Provided that this byelaw shall not apply to persons using vessels exceeding 15.24 metres in overall length who were engaged in fishing with a trawl net within three nautical miles from the 1983 baselines in the area between a line True East from the control tower at the Royal Air Force Gunnery and Bombing Range at Donna Nook in the County of Lincolnshire (Latitude 53o28.22'N, Longitude 0o09.24'E) being the northern extremity of the District and a line drawn True North from Blakeney Church in the County of Norfolk (Latitude 52º57.05'N, Longitude 01º01.60'E) on a regular basis prior to the advertisement of this byelaw who may continue to fish by the said method in the said area between Donna Nook and Blakeney Church as mentioned above until such time as the particular vessel so derogated changes ownership or ceases to fish.
Provided also that this byelaw shall not apply to persons using vessels exceeding 15.24 metres in overall length who were engaged in fishing with a trawl net in the area between a line drawn True North East from Mundesley Church in the County of Norfolk (Latitude 52o 52.50'N, Longitude 01o26.15'E) and a line drawn True East from Covehithe Church in the County of Suffolk (Latitude 52o 22.60'N, Longitude 01o 42.40'E) previously derogated which may continue to fish by the said method in the said area between Mundesley Church and Covehithe Church as mentioned above until such time as the particular vessel previously so derogated changes ownership or ceases to fish.
For the purposes of this byelaw, “the 1983 baselines” means the baselines as they existed at 25 January 1983 in accordance with the Territorial Waters Order in Council 1964 (1965 IIIp.6452A, amended by 1979 IIp.2866).
For the purposes of this byelaw, the overall length of a vessel shall be the overall length as determined by the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen and shown on the Certificate of Registry of a British Fishing Vessel.
BYELAW 13:-FIXED ENGINES; AUTHORISATION OF PLACING AND USE
“The placing of “fixed engines” (as defined in the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975) for the fishing of seafish throughout the District of the Committee is hereby authorised.”
BYELAW 14:- PROHIBITION ON THE REMOVAL OF TOPE OR PART(S) THEREOF
"No person shall remove from a fishery any tope of the species (Galeorhinus
galeus) or part(s) thereof which is detached from the body.
Any tope, if caught, shall be returned immediately to the sea in a postion as near to that part of the sea from which it was taken.
All Byelaws correct at 7th December 2006