CAUGHT

Closed area · Northumberland IFCA

BNNC SAC (Mobile Fishing Gear Prohibition)

Bottom-towed gear prohibited

Prohibition of the use of Mobile Fishing gear

The closure boundary as published in the source dataset, simplified for display. Basemap © Esri, HERE, Garmin, OpenStreetMap contributors.

What the rule actually says

A CAUGHT review has read the instrument behind this closure, rather than relying on the summary published with the boundary. Where the two differ, the instrument governs; this reading was made on 2026-11-01.

What is prohibited

Paragraph 2: "A person must not operate a relevant fishing vessel using mobile fishing gear, within the English section of the Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast Special Area of Conservation, except within any of the specified areas and only with the written authorisation by the Authority". Paragraph 1(g): mobile fishing gear means "any dredge, trawl or similar device that is designed to be towed or pushed to take any sea fisheries resources from the seabed".

As published with the boundary

A Person Must Not Operate A Relevant Fishing Vessel Using Mobile Fishing Gear within the Berwick and North Northumberland Coast Special Area of Conservation.

Summary as published in the source dataset, shown for comparison. A dataset paraphrase can be narrower or wider than the instrument it summarises, and finding out which is the work above.

What is prohibited
Bottom-towed gear prohibited
Authority
Northumberland IFCA
Instrument
Prohibition of the use of Mobile Fishing gear
Type
Byelaw/ Regulation
Area
660 km²
Cases CAUGHT observed here
0
Cases under review
0
Cases assessed and resolved
2

What satellites have recorded here

Vessels are named only on cases that read CAUGHT and have been examined by a reviewer. Every other case is linked without a name: most are resolved, and naming a boat on a page about the closure would carry an accusation the assessment does not support.

What a case here means. A CAUGHT case is a reason to look, not a verdict. Each one is judged on three independent factors — was it fishing, here and then; what gear does the vessel actually use; and what was prohibited there at that time — and the weakest of the three decides. Most cases are resolved.

Boundaries and rule summaries come from the published datasets named at the foot of this page and can contain errors; the legislation is the authority. If you believe this closure is described wrongly, tell us at contact@caught.org.uk.