Byelaws - Fishing Vessels

Vessel size and engine power

No person shall use within the District in fishing for sea fish or shellfish any net or any other instrument except:-

(i) from the beach or from a boat the overall length of which does not exceed 17 metres and when using trawl nets, dredges or other towed fishing instruments whose total engine does not exceed 221 kilowatts or, in the case of derated engines, did not exceed 243 kilowatts before derating; or

(ii) for scientific purposes or for stocking or breeding purposes with the consent of the Committee.

For the purpose of this byelaw, engine power shall be defined as the combined total of the maximum continuous power which can be obtained at the flywheel of all engines which can, by mechanical, electrical, hydraulic or other means, be applied to vessel propulsion, as advised by the engine manufacturers under normal running conditions when supplied new.

No deduction shall be made in respect of any auxiliary machinery driven by the engine.

For the purposes of this byelaw, the length of a vessel shall be the length overall, defined as the distance in a straight line between the foremost point of the bow and the aftermost point of the stern.

The bow is to be taken to include the watertight hull structure, forecastle, stem and forward bulwark, if fitted to exclude bowsprits and safety rails.

The stern is to be taken to include the watertight hull structure, transom, poop, trawl ramp and bulwark, but to exclude safety rails, bumkins, propulsion machinery, rudders and steering gear, and divers’ ladders and platforms.

The length overall shall be measured in metres with an accuracy of two decimal places.

This byelaw shall not apply in that part of the district which lies between a line drawn 3 nautical miles to seaward from baselines and a line drawn 6 nautical miles to seaward from baselines, to any vessel exceeding 17 metres overall length or 221 Kw engine power, or both, provided that the owner has prior to the confirmation of this byelaw fished in the said part of the district, and who has applied in writing for registration with the Committee within six months from the date of advertisement of this byelaw and subsequently been entered onto the register and as long as the vessel remains in the same ownership.

For the purpose of this byelaw “owner” means the owner as recorded in the register held by the registrar of shipping for the country of the vessel.

Placing and use of fixed engines

The placing and use of fixed engines for taking or facilitating the taking of fish of any description, but excluding salmon and sea trout, in any part of the District is hereby authorised provided that the following conditions are complied with:-

No fixed engine shall be set in that part of the District enclosed within a radius of 1.5 nautical miles of the chimney of Richborough Power Station in the County of Kent situated at 51⁰18.56’N, 01⁰20.85’E, during the months of April to September inclusive, in any year.

No fixed engine shall be set in any part of the District West of a line drawn from London Stone near the entrance to Yantlet Creek, in the County of Kent, to Crow Stone, otherwise the City Stone, opposite Canvey Island, in the County of Essex, and continued on either side to the mean high water mark.

Seed mussel surveys tender information

Kent & Essex SFC have received funding from Defras Fisheries Challenge Fund to study the mussel populations within our district. The project breaks down into 3 main components

· To assess when mussels spawn and how fast they grow within the district.

· To complete a base line survey of the known mussel beds.

· To implement best management practice used by other seed mussel stock managers.

As part of this project we are aiming to use the mussel bed in the Medway approaches as one of our sampling populations. We would like to involve local fishermen in the survey work to sample the Medway bed throughout the year, and invite people to tender for the contract to complete this work.

Best safety standards will be required (able to conform to Cefas safety requirements) and the skipper will help plan the detailed programme. The survey work will involve the use of a mussel dredge (of a commercial size) provided by the tenderer and the vessel used must possess a GPS navigator/plotter and a recording echo-sounder.

For more information please contact

Kent & Essex Sea Fisheries Committee
The Ice House

Military Road

Ramsgate

Kent

CT11 9LG

Tel: 01843 585310