CAUGHT

Closed area · Scottish Government (Marine Scotland)

Mons Craig to Doolie Ness (SSI 2004 No. 276)

Bottom-towed gear prohibited

The Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2004 - SSI 2004 No. 276 (Art 3) · in force since 2004-07-05

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 2026-11-02.

What is prohibited

fishing for sea fish with a trawl, Danish seine or similar net, purse seine, ring net or dredge (including a suction dredge), year-round, throughout Mons Craig to Doolie Ness

In summary

Rule reviewed against the instrument: SSI 2004/276 article 3(1) prohibits fishing for sea fish with a trawl, Danish seine or similar net, purse seine, ring net or dredge (including a suction dredge) here, and Schedule 1 item 27 sets the period at '1st January to 31st December in each year'. The row carries no excepted method, so the article 4 exception does not reach this closure.

As published with the boundary

Fishing for sea fish with mobile or active gear prohibited.

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
Scottish Government (Marine Scotland)
Instrument
The Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2004 - SSI 2004 No. 276 (Art 3)
Type
Byelaw/ Regulation
In force since
2004-07-05
Area
38 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.

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