Closed area · Northumberland IFCA
Trawling prohibited
Trawling Byelaw · in force since 2026-04-21
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 2026-09-04.
Paragraph 3: 'A person must not fish for sea fish using a trawl or other net towed by a vessel.' Paragraph 5 adds unconditional prohibitions that paragraph 4 does NOT disapply: more than a single trawl with a single cod-end and one pair of otter boards; simultaneous towing by more than one vessel; purse seine or curtain netting; and bottom towed gear inside the specified area.
Purse Seine or Similar Net Prohibited. Pair or Simultaneous Trawling Or Towing Prohibited. Single Trawl Fitted With Single Cod-End and One Pair Of Otter Boards. Vessel Must Be Less Than 18.3 Metres In Overall Length.
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.
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.
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