The Strangford Lough (Sea Fishing Exclusion Zones) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

Made

Coming into operation: 8th January 2013

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development [^f00001] makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 19(1) and 124(1), (2) and (2A) of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 [^f00002].

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Strangford Lough (Sea Fishing Exclusion Zones) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 and come into operation on 8th January 2013.

Interpretation

2

• (1) In these Regulations—

• “Admiralty Chart” means the Admiralty Chart for Strangford Lough (No.2156) (Edition Date 15th December 2011) published by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office;

• “co-ordinate” means a co-ordinate of latitude or longitude on the World Geodetic System 1984;

• “Strangford Lough” means the area of sea to the northwest of an imaginary straight line drawn from Killard Point to Ballyquintin Point, County Down;

• “Zone 1” and “Zone 2” mean those parts of Strangford Lough which lie within the boundaries specified in paragraph (2)(a) and (b) respectively.

• (2) The boundaries are–

• (a) in relation to Zone 1, a straight line joining the co-ordinates lettered A, B, C and D in Part 1 of the Schedule; and

• (b) in relation to Zone 2, a straight line joining the co-ordinates lettered A, B, C and D in Part 2 of the Schedule.

Prohibition of fishing

3

Subject to regulation 4, all fishing for sea-fish by any sea-fishing boat within Zone 1 and Zone 2 at a depth of 10 metres or more below Chart Datum as shown on the Admiralty Chart is prohibited.

Exception

4

Regulation 3 does not apply to fishing for sea-fish by means of rod and line.

Revocation

5

The Strangford Lough (Sea Fishing Exclusion Zones) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011[^f00003] are revoked.

SCHEDULE — Co-ordinates

PART 1 — Zone 1

PART 2 — Zone 2

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on 7th December 2012.

John Speers — A senior officer of the — Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations revoke and replace the Strangford Lough (Sea Fishing Exclusion Zones) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011.

Regulation 3 prohibits all fishing for sea-fish by any sea-fishing boat within the two zones in Strangford Lough specified in the Schedule at a depth of 10 metres or more below Chart Datum as shown on Admiralty Chart No. 2156 (Edition Date 15th December 2011).

Regulation 4 provides that the prohibition does not apply to fishing for sea-fish by rod and line.

A chart showing the location of the two zones is published for illustrative purposes on www.dardni.gov.uk/index/fisheries-farming-and-food/marine_fisheries.htm.

Contravention of the Regulations is an offence under section 124(3) of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966. The penalty on summary conviction is a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000).

Footnotes

[^f00001]: The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland was renamed the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development by Article 3(4) of the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/283 (N.I.).

[^f00002]: 1966 c.17 (N.I.). Section 124 was substituted by the Fisheries Amendment (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (S.I. 1981/227 (N.I. 7)), Article 6 and amended by the Fisheries (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 c.4 (N.I.), section 1 and the Sea Fisheries (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/790), article 6(2).

[^f00003]: S.R. 2011 No.35