Sharks, skates, and fish
Updated 13 June 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protected-marine-species/fish-including-seahorses-sharks-and-skates
1. Sharks and Skates
The offences and protections listed for these species are under section 9 of the the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Basking sharks are also protected by CITES Under Council Regulation (EU) No 605/2013 all vessels wherever they fish must now land sharks with their “fins naturally attached”, wherever they fish.
| Offences | Basking shark (section 9) | Angel shark (sections 9(1), 9(2) and 9(5) | White skate (sections 9(1), 9(2) and 9(5)) |
| Kill or injure | X | X | X |
| Capture | X | X | X |
| Possess or keep | X | X | X |
| Damage or destroy place of shelter or protection | X | ||
| Disturb | X | ||
| Transport or possess for sale or offer or expose for sale or advertise for sale | X | X | X |
| Use prohibited method to take or kill | X | X | X |
2. Sturgeon
The offences and protections listed are for the common sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) unless stated. All species of sturgeon are also protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Offences under regulations 45 and 47 of the Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (COHSR) are from 12 to 200 nautical miles.
Offences under regulations 43 and 45 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (CHSR) and sections 9(4)(b), (c) and 9(5) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (WCA) are from 0 to 12 nautical miles.
Further guidance for fishermen is available here
| Offences | COHSR | CHSR | WCA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kill or injure | X | X | |
| Capture | X | X | |
| Possess or keep | X | X | |
| Damage or destroy place of resting, shelter or breeding | X | X | X (including obstructing access) |
| Take or destroy eggs or nest while in use | X | ||
| Disturb | X (also includes Adriatic sturgeon – Acipenser naccarii – when in a special area of conservation) | X | X (while in place of protection or shelter only) |
| Transport, expose, sell, exchange, advertise for sale | X | X | X |
| Use prohibited or unauthorised method to capture or kill | X (poison or explosives – applies to all species of sturgeon) | X (poison or explosives) | X |
3. Shad and houting
The offences and protections listed are for allis shad (Alosa alosa), twaite shad (Alosa fallax) and houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus). This houting is from Finland but does not migrate from the sea to fresh water to breed (anadromous).
Offences under regulations 47 – shad – and 45(3) – houting – Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (COHSR) are from 12 to 200 nautical miles.
Offences under regulations 45 – shad – and 43(3) – houting – of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (CHSR) and sections 9(1) and 9(4)(a) – for shad only – of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (WCA) are from 0 to 12 nautical miles.
| Offences | COHSR | CSHR | WCA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kill or injure | X | ||
| Possess or keep | X (houting only) | X (houting only) | |
| Take | X | ||
| Damage or destroy place of resting, shelter or breeding | X | ||
| Disturb | X (houting only) | ||
| Transport, expose, sell, exchange, advertise for sale | X (houting only) | X (houting only) | |
| Use prohibited or unauthorised method to capture or kill | X (poison or explosives – shad only) | X (poison or explosives – shad only) | X |
4. Goby
The offences and protections listed are for giant goby (Gobius cobitis) and Couch’s goby (Gobius couchi). These species are protected under section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) to:
- kill or injure
- take
- possess
- damage or destroy place of shelter, breeding or protection
- disturb
- transport or possess for sale or offer or expose for sale or advertise for sale
- use a prohibited method to take or kill
5. Tope
The UK introduced The Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 2008 to protect the species by limiting by-catch and preventing the development of commercial tope-fishing operations. The legislation applies within English and Welsh fishery limits and is designed to protect tope numbers by:
- banning all fishing for tope except by rod and line
- setting a 45 kilogram per day by-catch limit for tope in commercial fisheries for other species
- requiring any tope landed by commercial fishing vessels to have their head and fins still attached
- preventing recreational anglers from landing any tope - whether dead or alive - caught from a boat
The legislation is designed to make recreational anglers and the commercial fishing community jointly responsible for tope conservation.
6. Pair trawling for bass
Pair trawling for bass off the south-west coast of England has been shown to have a high level of cetacean by-catch compared to other fisheries. Because of this, pelagic pair trawling for bass by UK vessels is banned within 12 miles of the south-west coast of England (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) area VIIe). Other bass fisheries, such as gillnetting, hand lining and pair trawling targeting other species are not affected by the ban.
These vessels are currently permitted to fish between 6 and 12 miles off the coast of south-west England.
7. Further information
Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended)
8. Contact information
Marine Conservation Team
0300 123 1032