Legal Minimum Retention Sizes For Sea Fish
Minimum landing sizes are used all over the World and are just one of a number of tools used to manage fish stocks. The Minimum Landing Sizes that are set by the EU are said to be "technical measures for the protection of juvenile fish." However, for many species there is no minimum landing size and those that exist are still set below the age of sexual maturity.
The lifecycles of some species, and the fishing methods used, mean that minimum landing sizes on their own are rarely the solution to good management. However, in many cases, successful fisheries management (including the restoration of depleted stocks) sees minimum landing sizes playing a key role when used in conjunction with other technical measures - such as minimum mesh sizes for nets - and as a deterrent to targeted exploitation of small, immature fish.
The current review of the EU Common Fisheries Policy could see minimum landing sizes being abolished and all fish required to be landed. The proposed replacement will be minimum conservation reference sizes which will allow immature fish to be landed but not sold at market for human consumption. It is as yet unclear how fish caught that have high survival rates, such as some fish caught with rod and line will be dealt with.
Our interpretation of the current minimum landing sizes set by the EU is that they only apply to motorised vessels holding a commercial fishing license and not to recreational catches. However, we would encourage all anglers to apply voluntary minimum retention sizes which exceed the EU's and allow all fish retained the chance to have bred at least once.
In England the Inshore Fishery and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) have considerable responsibility for managing fish stocks out to six miles from the shore. While the IFCAs still have to adhere to the rules laid down by the EU Common Fisheries Policy they are able, through bylaws, to set minimum landing sizes that exceed the EU's and apply to all fish retained - including those caught be recreational anglers.
You can find out what these are by visiting the IFCA websites via the links below. If you are in any doubt about the bylaws or the IFCA boundaries area please check with your IFCA first.
Northumberland IFCA
North East IFCA
Eastern IFCA
Kent and Essex IFCA
Sussex IFCA
Southern IFCA
Devon and Severn IFCA
Cornwall IFCA
Isles of Scilly IFCA (Website under construction)
North West IFCA
If an IFCA has not set its own minimum landing size the following EU sizes apply to a limited number of species caught in UK waters. For many species no legal minimum landing size exists.
With conservation in mind we have provided the approximate size of sexual maturity for females of all species using the best available evidence to support this. Where a range was given we have published the upper limit. These are not recommended retention size limits but anglers retaining fish above these sizes can be reasonably confident that these fish will have had the chance to have bred at least once.
| EU | Size of Sexual |
| Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) | 36cm | 46cm |
| Bream - Black (Spondyliosoma cantharus) | None | 20cm |
| Bream - Gilthead (Sparus aurata) | None | Unknown |
| Brill (Scophthalmus rhombus) | None | 41cm |
| Coalfish (Pollachius virens) | 35cm | (see note 1) 70cm |
| Cod (Gadus morhua) | 35cm | (see note 1) 60cm |
| Common skate (Dipturus batis) | None | 180cm |
| Conger eel (Conger conger) | None | Unknown |
| Dab (Limanda limanda) | None | 25cm |
| European Eel (Anguila anguila) | None (See note 2) | Unknown |
| Flounder (Platichthys flesus) | None | 30cm |
| Garfish (Belone belone) | None | 45cm |
| Gurnard - Grey (Eutrigla gurnardus) | None | 25cm |
| Gurnard - Red (Chelidonichthys cuculus) | None | 25cm |
| Gurnard - Tub (Chelidonichthys lucerna) | None | Unknown |
| Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) | 30cm | (see note 1) 40cm |
| Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) | None | 135cm |
| Herring (Clupea harengus) | 20cm | 3-9 years |
| Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) | 15cm | 30cm |
| John Dory (Zeus faber) | None | 35cm |
| Lesser Spotted Dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) | None | 60cm |
| Ling (Molva molva) | 63cm | (see note 1) 100cm |
| Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) | 20cm (30cm North sea) | 34cm |
| Megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) | 20cm | 25cm |
| Anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius) | None | 70cm |
| Mullet - Grey, thick-lipped (Chelon labrosus) | None | 47cm |
| Mullet - Grey, thin-lipped (Liza ramada) | None | 47cm |
| Mullet - Golden Grey | None | 28cm |
| Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) | 22cm | 35cm |
| Pollack (Pollachius pollachius) | 30cm | (see note 1) 50cm |
| Poor Cod (Trisopterus minutus) | None | Unknown |
| Pouting (Trisopterus luscus) | None | 25cm |
| Ray - Blonde (Raja brachyuran) | None | 57cm |
| Ray - Cuckoo (Raja naevus) | None | 59cm |
| Ray - Small-eyed (Raja microocellata) | None | Unknown |
| Ray - Spotted (Raja montagui) | None | Unknown |
| Ray - Starry(Amblyraja radiata) | None | 40cm |
| Ray - Stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca) | None | Unknown |
| Ray - Thornback (Raja clavata) | None | 85cm |
| Ray - Undulate (Raja undulate) | None (see note 3) | 60cm |
| Rockling - Five Bearded Ciliata mustela | None | Unknown |
| Rockling - Shore (Gaidropsarus mediterraneus) | None | Unknown |
| Rockling - Three-bearded (Gaidropsarus vulgaris) | None | Unknown |
| Shad- Allis (Alosa alosa) | None | See Note 4 below |
| Shad- Twait (Alosa fallax) | None | See Note 4 below |
| Monkfish AKA Angel Shark (Squatina squatina) | None | 169cm (see note 5 below) |
| Shark - Blue (Prionace glauca) | None | 220cm |
| Shark - Bull Huss (Scyliorhinus stellaris) | None | Unknown |
| Shark - Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) | None | 285cm |
| Shark - Porbeagle (Lamna nasus) | None (See note 6) | 220cm |
| Shark - Smoothhound (Mustelus asterias) | None | 85cm |
| Shark - Spurdog (Squalus acanthias) | None (see note 7) | 80cm |
| Shark - Thresher (Alopias vulpinus) | None | 260-465cm |
| Shark - Tope (Galeorhinus galeus) | None (See note 8) | Unknown |
| Sole - Dover (Solea solea) | 24cm | 35cm |
| Sole - Lemon (Microstomus kitt) | None | 30cm |
| Trigger fish (Balistes capriscus) | None | Unknown |
| Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) | None | 46cm |
| Tuna - Bluefin (Tunnus tunnus) | 30kg/115cm (Excluding trolling and bait boats) | See Note 9 below |
| Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) | 27cm | 30cm |
| Witch (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) | None | Unknown |
| Wrasse - Ballan (Labrus bergylta) | None | Unknown |
| Wrasse - Cuckoo (Labrus mixtus) | Unknown | Unknown |
- The size of sexual maturity for species from the Gadidae family including cod, whiting, haddock, pollack and coalfish (saithe) can vary wildly depending on a number of factors. The figures quoted represent the size at which 50 per cent of fish of these species have reached sexual maturity.
- An Environment Agency byelaw prevent anglers from retaining the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). However, they can be retained for weighing or measuring but must be returned alive to the water they were taken from on completion of fishing. For the Angling Trust’s policy on retaining European eels click here
- Undulate ray are classified as endangered. We recommend that all fish are returned alive
- Shad are now protected under the (EU - Berne Convention) and all fish must be returned.
- Monkfish (also called Angel Shark) are listed under UK Wildlife and Countryside Act and will be protected against killing, injuring or taking (section 9(1)) on land and up to 3 nautical miles (nm) from English coastal baselines. These are not to be confused with the unprotected Anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius) whose tails are marketed as Monkfish.
- Porbeagle are critically endangered in the Northeast Atlantic. We recommend that all fish are returned alive
- Spurdog are classified as critically endangered in the Northeast Atlantic and we recommend that all fish are returned alive
- Anglers should be aware that there is a national restriction on landing tope caught from a boat, which includes kayaks, by rod and line. Any boat-caught tope are legally required to be released as soon as possible after capture. Details of the Tope (Prohibition of Fishing Order) 2008 can be found here
- In order for bluefin tuna to be caught directly, each Member State must apply for quota and then apply a second specific quota for recreational fishing purposes. The UK does not currently have a quota for the direct commercial or recreational fishing of bluefin tuna. Therefore, direct fishing for bluefin tuna is not allowed in the UK under current Regulations. Article 12.5 of Regulation 302/2009 states that “Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, the release of bluefin tuna caught alive, especially juveniles, in the framework of recreational fishing”. Therefore, recreational sea anglers are obliged to do everything they can to ensure any by-catch is returned to the sea alive.
Sizes of sexual maturity shown here have been gathered from the best available evidence at the time. If you have more information and can provide referenced studies to update this information then we would love to hear from you. Please email us at admin@anglingtust.net
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