Welsh Tope safe

[Charlton]

Have just received this good news from Ian Burrett

The Welsh assembly have fallen in line with Defra by protecting the tope


See The Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) (Wales) Order 2008 No. 1438 (W. 150)

Ian Burrett

Save our Sharks

[MartyMusther]

I have just had a look at the:
The Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) (Wales) Order 2008
Found at:

The Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) (Wales) Order 2008 No. 1438 (W. 150)

Just a few questions can anyone answer them?

(3) This Order does not apply to fishing vessels—

Does this mean fishing vessels can catch what they like?

Fishing prohibition
3.—(1) Fishing for tope (other than by rod and line) is prohibited.
(2) If tope are taken on board, they may be retained provided that the total liveweight does not exceed 45 kilogrammes per day.

This could be 2 or 3 fish a day !

(3) In paragraph (2), “liveweight” means the weight of the gutted carcasses of tope multiplied by a factor of 1.125.

Landing prohibition
5. No person may land in Wales —

(a)
tope caught by rod and line, or .
(b)
beheaded tope.

Does this mean you can land them on the English coast?

[davem2005]

Fishing vessels...

Means foriegn vessels can catch what they like . Uk registered vessels can not fish for them.

45KG per day...

This bycatch allowance was also in the Uk tope management plan. Its designed to be a small enough figure to prevent boats targeting tope but does allow them a small amount to prevent wasteful discarding at sea of those accidentally caught.

Liveweight...

This is simply an amount that should be added to the gutted weight when calculating the 45kg per day limit.

Landing...

The landing of tope in the Uk has been banned for quite a while now, the Welsh gov is seperate from defra and as such it has taken a while for them to bring in the legislation. The situation until now has been the reverse of what you said in that Tope could not be landed in the uk but could be landed in Wales.

Good news all round and a step in the right direction.