Introduction: Illegal fishing practices threaten the UK’s marine life and undermine honest fishers and anglers. Yet despite repeat offences, it’s virtually unheard of for English commercial fishers to lose their licences. This article explores why repeat fisheries offenders in England rarely (if ever) face licence revocation, focusing on the inherited EU penalty points system and real-world cases of serial violators in shellfisheries. We’ll see how current rules allow habitual offenders to keep fishing – and

In the world of fishing, especially carp fishing, krill-based baits have become incredibly popular. From pellets to boilies, many anglers turn to this small marine crustacean to boost their chances of a catch. But as the demand for krill grows, we need to take a step back and ask: is this really the best choice for the long-term health of our oceans? While the use of krill in fishing baits and fish food is a

In the UK, the idea of bag limits in recreational fishing tends to cause a lot of frustration. Historically, we’ve had very few limits on how many fish we can take home, with bass being the main exception. But now, voluntary measures for species like pollock and bream are starting to spread, and it looks like bag limits could become more common. So, is it really something we should worry about? Fishing as a Right

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification is widely seen as a mark of sustainability. The blue tick assures consumers that a fishery operates in a way that preserves fish stocks and protects the environment. However, there are growing concerns about the sustainability of certain fisheries with this certification, such as the Cornish gill net caught hake fishery. Despite hake itself being a key target species, the bycatch issues raised by this fishery challenge the very definition

SeaFish, the body established to support the UK’s commercial fishing industry, plays an important role. However, there is growing concern about the fairness of its funding model. The SeaFish levy, which is a legal requirement under the Sea Fish (Levy) Regulations 1999, mandates that businesses in the UK fishing industry contribute a percentage of their income. This levy is passed on to consumers through increased seafood prices. Essentially, this means that seafood consumers are funding

When it comes to managing fish stocks, Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) has long been the go-to metric for determining how much fish can be caught without depleting populations. While MSY is a vital tool in managing commercial fisheries, it has a glaring economic blindspot: the value of recreational angling. As fisheries management decisions increasingly rely on MSY, it is critical to recognise the broader economic impact that recreational fishing has, not just in terms of

Bycatch or By Design? How Regulators Failed to Stop Illegal Bass Netting The Uncomfortable Numbers: Bass “Bycatch” in Name Only Nearly 70% of all net-caught bass landed into Mevagissey came from trips where bass made up 90–100% of the catch (henry-gilbey.com). This is plainly inconsistent with the idea of “unavoidable bycatch” – the legal fiction that these Cornish gillnetters were actually targeting other fish and only incidentally catching bass. In reality, they’ve been hauling in

Salcombe Harbour remains net-free to this day, thanks to a passionate campaign led by the Angling Trust and its then Sea Angling Engagement Manager, Grant Jones, now the lead consultant at YourAnglingVoice. In late 2023, a proposal emerged to allow commercial fixed-net fishing in the Salcombe Estuary (a designated Bass Nursery Area and Site of Special Scientific Interest) for six months each year. But an unprecedented wave of public opposition – the largest ever response