Minimum Conservation Reference Size Byelaw
A person must not take, retain on board, tranship, land, transport, store, sell, display or offer for sale from a fishery within the District, any fish or shellfish species specified in the schedules which measure less than the minimum conservation reference size specified in the schedule. Any such fish or shellfish must be returned to the sea immediately.
The Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes listed in the schedules of this Byelaw apply to all fishery participants , both recreational and commercial, and throughout the supply chain.
To view the MCRS Byelaw, click here. To read more about the MCRS Byelaw, please see our MCRS Byelaw FAQs here.
Prohibition of Gathering (Sea Fisheries Resources) in Seagrass Beds Byelaw
No person shall dig for or take sea fisheries resources from any prohibited area. Some gear types are exempt from this prohibition. View the full byelaw here.
Poole Harbour Shellfish Hand Gathering
From the 1st November to 31st March inclusive, a person must not take from a fishery, shellfish of any kind by hand gathering or with the use of a hand tool, in the defined areas within Poole Harbour. View the byelaw here and maps of the closed areas here .
Periwinkles Byelaw
No person shall take from a fishery any periwinkles between the 15 th May and 15 th September inclusive. No person shall take periwinkles except by hand picking. View the details here .
Oysters Close Season Byelaw
No person shall take oysters from a fishery from 1st March to 31st October in any year, both days inclusive. Oyster cultivation exceptions apply. This applies to Native Oysters only. see full details here.
Temporary Closure of Shellfish Beds Byelaw
Where any shellfish bed is depleted and requires closure to recover, the Committee may establish a temporary shellfish bed closure, wherein no person may take shellfish from the defined shellfish bed. View the details here .
Fishing for Cockles
A person must not take from a fishery a cockle between 1st February and 30th April inclusive. A person must not remove a cockle from a fishery, unless complying with the gear restrictions and minimum size requirements. See the full byelaw here.
Fishing for Oysters, Mussels and Clams Byelaw
Oysters, Mussels and Clams may only be fished for by handpicking or dredging. View the details here .
Scallop Fishing Byelaw 2019
No person may fish for or take any scallop from a fishery before 0700 and after 1900 local time. This does not apply in The Solent, where a person must not fish for or take any scallop from any fishery on any day before 0600 local time or after 1800 local time. Gear restrictions also apply - view the full byelaw here .
Oysters
No person shall remove an oyster (other than Portuguese or Pacific Oysters) that will pass through a circular ring of 70mm diameter or any cultch for young Oysters to grow on. View further details of the byelaw here.
Mussels
No person shall remove from a fishery a mussel measuring less than 50mm in length. Mussel cultivation exceptions apply with permission from Southern IFCA. View the details here .
Redeposit of Shellfish
Any person who takes shellfish from a fishery within the Southern IFCA district where the removal or possession of it is prohibited, should return the shellfish to the fishery, as near as possible to the place it was taken. View the details here .
