S.I. No. 532/2007 - Cockle (Fisheries Management and Conservation) (Dundalk Bay) Regulations 2007
COCKLE (FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION) (DUNDALK BAY) REGULATIONS 2007 |
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Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in |
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“Iris Oifigiúil” of 27th July, 2007. |
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I, EAMON RYAN, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 15 of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 (No. 8 of 2006), hereby make the following regulations- |
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1. These Regulations may be cited as the Cockle (Fisheries Management and Conservation) (Dundalk Bay) Regulations 2007. |
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2. These Regulations come into operation on 21 July 2007. |
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3. In these Regulations- |
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“cockle” means Cerastoderma edule; |
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“cockle suction dredge” means any appliance with a rigid framed mouth that is towed through the water, is manufactured, adapted, used or intended to be used for the purpose of fishing for cockles, and that uses a water suction pump to transport cockles from the cockle dredge to the vessel during fishing operations; |
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“cockle non-suction dredge” means any appliance with a rigid framed mouth that is towed through the water, is manufactured, adapted, used or intended to be used for the purpose of fishing for cockles, and that does not use a water suction pump to transport cockles from the cockle dredge to the vessel during fishing operations; |
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“dredge width” means the internal width of the front of the rigid framed mouth of a cockle suction dredge or a cockle non-suction dredge; |
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“Dundalk Bay” means waters to the west of the line between Ballagan Point (latitude 53° 59 59” N, longitude 6° 6 13” W) and Dunany Point (latitude 53° 51 38” N, longitude 6° 14 17” W) up to the high water mark, in the county of Louth; |
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“fishing period” means the 5 day period beginning 07.00 on a Monday until 19.00 on the subsequent Friday; |
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“gradation” means the process whereby the dimensions of a cockle shell are established; |
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“maximum width” means the maximum measure on the smallest dimension of a cockle shell; |
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“specified period” means from 21 July to 28 February the following year; |
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“specified sub-areas” means waters within Dundalk Bay that are defined as follows- |
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(a) the waters bounded by straight lines sequentially joining the following geographical coordinates- |
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- latitude 54° 00 29.78" N, longitude 6° 19 14.91" W, |
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- latitude 54° 00 16.28" N, longitude 6° 17 45.32" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 59 43.53" N, longitude 6° 17 57.37" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 59 55.36" N, longitude 6° 19 27.06" W, |
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(b) the waters bounded by straight lines sequentially joining the following geographical coordinates- |
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- latitude 53° 59 23.04" N, longitude 6° 19 25.54" W, |
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- latitude 53° 59 06.98" N, longitude 6° 18 47.64" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 57 48.47" N, longitude 6° 20 24.02" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 58 06.88" N, longitude 6° 21 10.35" W, |
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(c) the waters bounded by straight lines sequentially joining the following geographical coordinates- |
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- latitude 53° 55 36.04" N, longitude 6° 21 28.83" W, |
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- latitude 53° 57 32.08" N, longitude 6° 21 21.49" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 57 30.81" N, longitude 6° 20 24.73" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 55 34.82" N, longitude 6° 20 31.90" W, |
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(d) the waters bounded by straight lines sequentially joining the following geographical coordinates- |
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- latitude 53° 54 36.52" N, longitude 6° 21 26.74" W, |
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- latitude 53° 55 09.21" N, longitude 6° 21 24.67" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 55 07.97" N, longitude 6° 20 27.98" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 54 35.26" N, longitude 6° 20 30.06" W, and |
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(e) the waters bounded by straight lines sequentially joining the following geographical coordinates- |
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- latitude 53° 53 11.42" N, longitude 6° 20 49.33" W, |
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- latitude 53° 53 16.53" N, longitude 6° 20 19.71" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 52 35.99" N, longitude 6° 19 16.74" W, to |
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- latitude 53° 52 33.04" N, longitude 6° 19 51.10" W; |
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“under-sized cockles” means cockles that are less than 17mm maximum width. |
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4. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), an Irish sea-fishing boat, or a person on board such a boat, shall not fish for cockles in Dundalk Bay, nor land, tranship, have or retain on board cockles taken in that bay. |
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(2) Subject to paragraph (3), an Irish sea-fishing boat, or a person on board such a boat, may, during the specified period, fish for cockles in the specified sub-areas, or have or retain on board or land cockles taken in those sub-areas. |
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(3) During the specified period an Irish sea-fishing boat, or a person on board such a boat, shall not fish for cockles in the specified sub-areas, or have or retain on board or land cockles taken in those sub-areas- |
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(a) outside of a fishing period, or |
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(b) during the period beginning at 19:00 hours on any day and ending at 07:00 hours on the following day. |
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5. An Irish sea-fishing boat, or a person on board such a boat, shall not have or retain on board or land more than 1 tonne of cockles, taken in the specified sub-areas, between 07:00 hours and 19:00 hours on any day during the specified period. |
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6. (1) An Irish sea-fishing boat or a person on board the boat shall not retain on board other than for gradation purposes or land under-sized cockles. |
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(2) It is prohibited to return to the water, an under-size cockle, in an area, other than the specified sub-area from where it was taken. |
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7. An Irish sea-fishing boat, or a person on board such a boat, shall not have or retain on board- |
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(a) a cockle suction dredge with a dredge width greater than 0.76 metres, or |
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(b) a cockle non-suction dredge with a dredge width greater than 1.0 metres. |
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8. The master of an Irish sea-fishing boat fishing for cockles in the specified sub-areas shall- |
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(a) complete a daily record of fishing activity undertaken by the boat in Dundalk Bay for every fishing period in a record book issued in respect of the boat by the Minister, and |
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(b) send the book to the address stated on it within 3 days of the end of the relevant fishing period. |
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GIVEN under my Official Seal, |
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20 July 2007 |
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EAMON RYAN. |
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Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. |
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EXPLANATORY NOTE |
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(This note is not part of the instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation) |
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The effect of these Regulations is to restrict fishing of cockles by Irish sea-fishing boat in Dundalk Bay. These Regulations come into effect from 21st July 2007. |
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These Regulations implement the following restrictions: |
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•Irish sea-fishing boats may only fish for cockles in the specified sub-areas during the period from 01:00 hours on 21st July to 23:59 hours on 28 February the following year. |
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•During this period, such boats may only fish for cockles in the specified sub-areas between 07:00 hours and 19:00 hours, Monday to Friday. |
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•Irish sea-fishing boats may only catch 1 tonne of cockles each day. |
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•Irish sea-fishing boats may not catch or land a cockle that is smaller than 17mm in width. |
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•Cockles under 17mm must be returned to the water in the specific area in which they were taken from the water. |
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•Irish sea-fishing boats may not use a cockle suction dredge with a dredge width greater than 0.76 metres, or a cockle non-suction dredge with a dredge width greater than 1.0 metres. |
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These Regulations also make it mandatory for masters, or persons nominated on their behalf, of Irish sea-fishing boats fishing for cockles in Dundalk Bay to- |
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•complete and submit information regarding fishing activity and landings by use of a Dundalk Bay Fishing Activity Record Book and |
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•to submit this document to the relevant authority within 3 days of the end of the Monday to Friday fishing period. |