The European Union has now published 2018 fishing opportunities in the Official Journal.
Click here to view the Official Journal. Article 9 (on page 11) covers measures on European seabass fisheries.
The 2018 regulations provide the following restrictions for bass fisheries.
2018 Recreational bass fishing (including spearfishing)Catch and release only for the whole of 2018.
You must not retain or sell any bass caught.
It has been reported that this closure will be reviewed in March 2018 following the publication of new ICES scientific data.
2018 Commercial bass fishing: (Please contact the
MMO for more information)
Closed season for the months of February and March for all commercial gear types.
For certain vessels with a track record of fishing for bass between 01/07/15 and 30/09/16, bass may be retained and landed when:
(a) using demersal trawls, for unavoidable by-catches not exceeding 100 kilogrammes per month and 1 % of the weight of the total catches of marine organisms on board caught by that vessel in any single day;
(b) using seines, for unavoidable by-catches not exceeding 180 kilogrammes per month and 1 % of the weight of the total catches of marine organisms on board caught by that vessel in any single day;
(c) using hooks and lines, not exceeding 5 tonnes per vessel per year;
(d) using fixed gillnets, for unavoidable by-catches not exceeding 1,2 tonnes per vessel per year.
The catch limits shall not be transferable between vessels and, where a monthly limit applies, from one month to another. For vessels using more than one gear in a single calendar month, the lowest catch limit set for either gear shall apply.