Explanatory note

This Order varies the Sea Fish Licensing Order 1989, as varied, (“the principal Order”) which prohibits fishing, subject to exceptions, by British fishing boats in specified areas of sea for sea fish (other than salmon or migratory trout), unless authorised by a licence.

This Order removes the provision in the principal Order which permitted the retention on board a fishing boat of a quantity of one or more of the descriptions of sea fish specified in an entry in Schedule 3 to that Order not exceeding 10% by weight of the total catch of sea fish on board the boat, the fishing for which was for the time being prohibited, caught in a specified statistical division of ICES VII as a by-catch in the course of lawful fishing for another description of sea fish (article 2). In consequence, section 4(9A) of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 requires such a by-catch of fish to be returned to the sea forthwith.

This Order revokes the Sea Fish Licensing (Variation) Order 1990 which is spent (article 3).