The UK’s Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has announced an emergency bylaw prohibiting the use of bottom towed fishing gear within the Solent European Marine Site (EMS).
The bylaw, which comes into force on Friday 19 April, is to protect certain areas of seagrass in six specified areas in Langstone, Portsmouth and Southampton.
The MMO emergency bylaw follows breaches of a voluntary code of conduct initiated by the Southern IFCA which stipulated that bottom towed fishing gear should not be used in certain seagrass beds within the Solent EMS. The MMO and Southern IFCA can both enforce the emergency bylaw and will take action if breaches are detected.
Further information is available on the MMO website.
