A new byelaw has come into force which bans netting for sea fish (with a small number of specific exceptions) in Cornwall’s rivers and estuaries.

The Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority River and Estuarine Fishing Nets Byelaw 2017 aims to rebalance access to sea fish in Cornwall’s rivers and estuaries in favour of hook and line fisheries.

The byelaw will also add extra protection for some fish stocks, including bass and mullet, and increase the protection for juvenile fish which congregate in rivers at the start of their lives.

A consultation about the new law in Autumn 2016 received an unprecedented response from the public, said the Authority.

Many were in support, some were in opposition but most supported the principle and requested some changes.

As a result, there was considerable extra time spent working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to make modifications.

Defra protected the use of ebb nets, the traditional method of fishing where a single panel of fishing net is fixed between two poles, pivoted from one side of a vessel, where the vessel is moored in a river, estuary, channel or stream.

Currently there are only a very small number of people using this method for recreational purposes.

Under the new byelaw anybody wishing to use an ebb net must now obtain a permit from Cornwall IFCA, and make an annual report of all fish taken using ebb nets in the Cornwall IFCA district. There is also a requirement to give prior notice (between 4 and 24 hours) before going ebb netting.

Cornwall IFCA Chief Officer Sam Davis said: ‘This is the first time we have created a byelaw to balance between different sectors and we hope this will greatly improve the access for hook and line fisheries to these key areas in Cornwall.

‘This byelaw will also greatly improve our ability to carry out enforcement activities in Cornwall’s rivers, one of our highest priorities.’

It is now an offence to use a net for sea fish in any of the rivers or estuaries within the Cornwall IFCA district, which covers the entire Cornish coast.

It is also an offence to carry a net on board a vessel while engaged in any fishing activity within the rivers and estuaries.

The prohibition does not apply to various low impact nets such as landing nets, or sand eel seine nets and ebb nets used under a permit issued by Cornwall IFCA.