Have Your Say: Shape the Future of Black Bream Angling in Dorset’s MCZs

The Angling Trust is encouraging sea anglers – particularly those who fish off the Dorset coast – to respond to an important consultation from Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (Southern IFCA) on proposed voluntary measures to protect breeding black seabream in three Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) within their district.

Black bream is a highly prized recreational species. It plays an important role in supporting local economies, especially among charter boats. Three MCZs in the Southern IFCA District – Poole Rocks, Southbourne Rough, and the Purbeck Coast – are designated to protect breeding black bream. Ensuring that the black bream fishery is sustainable is clearly in the interests of our community as recreational sea anglers.

What’s Being Proposed?

Southern IFCA is consulting on a package of voluntary measures for recreational anglers during the black bream breeding season (1st April to 31st July) within the three Dorset MCZs. The Shared Principles include:

• Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS): 28cm
• Maximum Conservation Reference Size (MaxCRS): 38cm
• Bag Limit: 6 fish per person per day
• Good Practice Guidance: Voluntary guidelines for fishing and handling

These measures are designed to protect spawning fish and improve survival rates, ensuring that black bream continue to thrive for future generations of anglers.

Your Voice Matters

The consultation is open until 22nd June 2025, and it’s vital take the time to share their views via the online survey. Whether you fish from a private boat, charter vessel, or shore, your feedback is important.

Take Part in the Consultation

You can respond to the consultation using this online questionnaire. It’s quick to complete and helps Southern IFCA better understand how black bream are targeted and valued by anglers.

Southern IFCA are also inviting feedback through:

• Port visits in Poole (12th May, 2–5pm) and Weymouth (21st May, 2–5pm, venue TBC)
• An online stakeholder meeting via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 12th June, 6–8pm (email enquiries@southern-ifca.gov.uk to request an invite)

If you’re unable to fill in the questionnaire but would like to provide comments, you can email: enquiries@southern-ifca.gov.uk (please use the subject line ‘Black Seabream Consultation’).

A Proactive and Collaborative Approach

The Angling Trust supports the Shared Principles proposed by Southern IFCA, which we understand to be the result of Southern IFCA’s engagement with stakeholders from across the fishing industry, including local anglers and charter boat skippers. We believe these voluntary measures strike a balance between offering protection to breeding black bream and supporting sustainable angling opportunities during the busy spring and summer period (1^st April to 31^st July). By acting proactively, rather than waiting for stocks to decline and imposing reactive restrictions, we can help safeguard the future of black bream in these important inshore breeding grounds.

The Angling Trust is not hosting this public consultation; however, if you have views you would like to share with us on this issue, please get in touch via email: sea@anglingtrust.net