CAUGHT

Closed area · Northumberland IFCA

BNNC SAC (Seagrass Protection Byelaw)

Bottom-towed gear prohibited

Seagrass Protection Byelaw

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 3: "No person shall dig for, fish for or take any sea fisheries resources in or from the Specified Area where Seagrass is situated." Paragraph 4 excepts (a) a net, (b) rod and line, (c) hook and line, and (d) fishing from a vessel "provided that no part of the vessel or its fishing gear is in contact with the seabed where Seagrass is situated". Paragraph 5: scientific, stocking or breeding permission.

As published with the boundary

No Person Shall Dig For, Fish Or Take Sea Fisheries Resources Where Seagrass Is Situated Within The Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast SAC.

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
Seagrass Protection Byelaw
Type
Byelaw/ Regulation
Area
660 km²

What satellites have recorded here

No cases have been recorded in this closure. That is not a finding that nothing happens here — it means our sweeps have not flagged anything inside these boundaries, and coverage depends on satellite passes and on vessels being tracked at all.

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.