CAUGHT

Closed area · Cornwall IFCA

Plymouth Sound, River Tamar and River Lynher (River and Estuarine Fishing Nets Byelaw 2017)

Trawling prohibited

River and Estuarine Fishing Nets Byelaw 2017 · in force since 2018-01-08

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

As announced by the authority: using a net to take sea fish in any river or estuary in the district is an offence, as is carrying a net aboard a vessel fishing for sea fish there, subject to listed exceptions.

In summary

Cornwall IFCA bans most netting for sea fish in tidal rivers and estuaries, with exceptions for permitted ebb nets and sand eel seines and for low-impact nets. This record rests on the authority's announcement of the byelaw, not its text.

As published with the boundary

A person must not place or use a fishing net for fishing for or taking sea fish in a river, estuary, channel or stream.

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
Trawling prohibited
Authority
Cornwall IFCA
Instrument
River and Estuarine Fishing Nets Byelaw 2017
Type
Byelaw/ Regulation
In force since
2018-01-08
Area
18 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.