Statutory Rule 1997 No. 425

Fisheries Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1997

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© Crown Copyright 1997

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1997 No. 425

FISHERIES

Fisheries Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1997

The Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 26(1)^[1], 37(1)^[2] to (3), 51(2), 52(2), 70(1) and (2), 71(2)(g), 72(1), 89, 95(1) and (2), 97, 114(1)(b) and 115(1)(b)^[3] of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966^[4] and of every other power enabling it in that behalf, with the approval of the Department of Agriculture, hereby makes the following Byelaws:

Citation and commencement
    1.    These Byelaws may be cited as the Fisheries Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 1st November 1997.

Interpretation
    2.—(1)  In these Byelaws—
"the Act" means the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966;
"angling" means the fishing for, taking or killing of fish by rod and line or hand line;
"bag net" means a net consisting of a single wall of netting and leader, one end fixed to the shore and running seawards to a floating fixed trap or cage of netting, enclosed on all sides, bottom and top, except at the entrance from the leader; and with one or more sets of inscales and described in a Certificate issued under the Salmon Fishery (Ireland) Act 1863^[5] as a bag net;
"bait net" means a net with a single wall of netting loosely hung on ground and head ropes with the outer ends or wings leading to a bag or tail into which the catch is drafted or hauled and used for the purpose of taking freshwater fish other than trout or rainbow trout for use as bait;
"bona fide fisherman" means a person engaged in either full-time or part-time commercial fishing;
"braided" in relation to a net making material means the interlocking of three or more multifilament yarns so as to form a net making material;
"coarse fish" means freshwater fish other than trout and rainbow trout;
"coarse fishing rod licence" means a licence issued by the Board for one rod and line or hand line to fish for, take and kill eels and freshwater fish other than trout and rainbow trout;
"commercial fishing" means fishing by persons who hold fishing licences issued by the Board (other than eel licences) to fish otherwise than by rod and line or hand line, or their agents previously authorised in writing by them;
"defined mouth" means the mouth of a river as defined by an order made under section 16 of the Act;
"draft net" means a net with a single wall of netting loosely hung on ground and head ropes with the outer ends or wings leading to a funnel and a bag or tail into which the catch is drafted or hauled;
"drift net" means a net consisting of a single sheet or wall of netting loosely hung on cork and sole ropes;
"drift net licence" means a licence issued by the Board authorising the use of drift nets for the taking of salmon in the sea;
"drift netting" means the use of a drift net;
"fixed tidal draft net" means a net consisting of a single sheet or wall of netting loosely hung on ground and head ropes without trap or cage and fixed at the shoreward and seaward ends and described in a Certificate issued under the Salmon Fishery (Ireland) Act 1863 as a fixed draft net;
"foul hook" means the hooking of any salmon or freshwater fish in any part of the body other than in the mouth;
"fresh water" means all waters exclusive of tidal waters;
"game fishing rod licence" means a licence issued by the Board for one rod and line or hand line to fish for, take and kill salmon, freshwater fish and eels;
"ground bait" means any material used other than on a hook for the purpose of attracting fish whilst angling;
"hand line" means a line held in the hand to which shall be attached not more than a single baited hook;
"hook" means a hook attached to a fishing line;
"licence-holder" in relation to a fishing licence means a person named on the licence as being entitled to the licence;
"maggots" means any larvae of the Order Diptera including the house fly of the Family Muscidae and the blue-bottle or blowfly of the Family Calliphoridae;
"multifilament yarn" means a yarn constructed from a group of continuous filaments each filament of which has a diameter not greater than .05 millimetres;
"rainbow trout" means trout of the species Salmo Gairdneri;
"single wall set net" means a net consisting of a single sheet or wall of netting loosely hung on cork and sole ropes and fixed into position by anchors or stakes;
"tidal draft net" means a net used in tidal waters consisting of a single sheet or wall of netting loosely hung on ground and head ropes into which the catch is drafted or hauled;
"tidal waters" means where the tide ebbs to and fro;
"trammel net" means a single sheet or loose wall of small mesh net with a sheet or wall of large mesh net hanging on either side to enable fish swimming into the net to force the fine net through the large mesh and form a pocket in which they are trapped;
"twisted and plied" in relation to a net making material means the forming of a net making material by wrapping a number of multifilament yarns round each other in such a way that there are not less than 100 turns per metre in the material.


    (2)  For the purposes of the annual close season for angling references to a river, lough or lake includes any tributary or branch of that river, lough or lake and includes any loughs or lakes draining into or flowing out of or forming part of any such river, tributary or branch.

    (3)  In these Byelaws—
 (a) any reference to the size of the mesh from knot to knot in any net shall be construed as a reference to such size measured along the side of the square of the mesh taken in the clear when the net is wet; and
 (b) any reference to the size of any fish shall be construed as a reference to its length when measured from the tip of its snout to the fork or cleft of its tail.

Revocations
    3.    The Byelaws listed in Schedule 7 are hereby revoked.

[1] Section 26(1) was amended by S.I. 1991/1466 (N.I. 3) Article 8(3) back

[2] Section 37 was substituted by 1968 c. 31 (N.I.) Schedule 1 and amended by S.I. 1991/1466 (N.I. 3) Article 9 back

[3] Sections 114(1) and 115(1) were amended by S.I. 1991/1466 (N.I. 3) Article 35(1) and Schedule 3, paragraph 5 back

[4] 1966 c. 17 (N.I.) back

[5] 1863 c. 114 (Ireland) back

Explanatory Note