Ambassador - Reg Phillips

Marine

17 April 2024

Angling Trust supports proposals to ban trawling and dredging in Beachy Head East MCZ

The Angling Trust has responded to a consultation on proposed amendments to the management of Beachy Heady East Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) (Marine Conservation Zone Byelaw 2023 Schedule 5) within Sussex IFCA‘s district. You can read our consultation response here.

The current proposals take a zonal approach which will allow trawling in some zones within the site.  The Angling Trust is calling for trawling and dredging to be prohibited across the whole site. Adopting a whole-site approach to prohibiting towed gears is important for maintaining the integrity of the site. We believe it is unnecessary to permit towed gears anywhere within the site boundaries as this gear type will be permitted in the surrounding area beyond the MCZ boundaries.

Beachy Head East MCZ is an important area for recreational sea angling. As a sector recreational angling plays an integral role in delivering social and economic benefits to Sussex through individual participation in shore and boat angling, angling competitions, charter boat businesses, and supporting tackle shop businesses. Angling tourism to Sussex also supports local businesses, such as hotels and restaurants, particularly within the peak summer months.

Beachy Head East MCZ features important nearshore nursery areas for plaice and Dover sole. It also provides feeding grounds for cuckoo wrasse, bib (pouting), black bream, European eel and dogfish (small spotted catshark). Many of these species are recreationally important, particularly for catch-and-release fisheries.

Adopting a whole-site approach to prohibiting towed gears within Beachy Head East MCZ will protect these recreationally important species, their habitats and prey species from the damaging impacts of commercial towed gears, enabling the recreational sector, and low-impact commercial fisheries, to benefit as a result of increases in species abundance and size.

It is the Angling Trust’s view that permitting both commercial trawling and dredging to operate within the boundaries of the marine protected area is contradictory to the objectives of the site to maintain and recover its designated features.

For over a decade, the local recreational sea angling community has campaigned for trawling and dredging to be banned within Beachy Head East MCZ. The Angling Trust hopes the Sussex IFCA listen to these calls and proceed with banning these destructive forms of fishing throughout the site.

Share

You might also like




Competitions
19 November 2024

Angling Trust 2024 National Coarse Competitions Overview

Angling Trust Head of Competitions Steve Fitzpatrick reveals the highs and lows of the National Cham…
Read more
Marine
15 November 2024

Anglers represented at inaugural Bass Fisheries Management Group meeting…

On Friday 8th November the Angling Trust joined other bass fishery stakeholders for the first Bass F…
Read more
Competitions
05 November 2024

TEAM SAUL PAGE TACKLE WIN ANGLING TRUST TEAMS OF…

    Saul Page Tackle have scooped sea angling’s biggest team match event – the Ang…
Read more
Fighting for Fishing
04 November 2024

The Mighty Trent: A love letter to Britain’s greatest…

Like many anglers I’ve long been an admirer of Doncaster all-rounder Bob Roberts whose no nonsense w…
Read more
Get Fishing | Get Fishing Fund PR
Get Fishing News
04 November 2024

The Environment Agency and Angling Trust Get Fishing Fund…

Monday 4th November launch date £150k of funding will get even more people fishing, more often Grant…
Read more
Club Focus
29 October 2024

New Fisheries Support Service launched to help clubs and…

The Angling Trust has joined forces with the Environment Agency to launch a new service to provide a…
Read more
Anglers Against Pollution
25 October 2024

March for Clean Water – join us on Sunday,…

The Angling Trust is calling on all anglers and supporters to stand with us at the March for Clean W…
Read more
Anglers Against Pollution
23 October 2024

Angling Trust welcomes largest review of water companies since…

The announcement by the government of an independent commission to look at the largest review of the…
Read more
Competitions
21 October 2024

ENGLAND WIN SILVER, RINGER TAKES GOLD, AND MASTERS FINISH…

  The European Feeder Cup is a fledgling international event, but it is one that the Angling Tr…
Read more
Get Fishing News
16 October 2024

‘Lady of the Stream’ photographer Amber Banks Brumby captures…

Amber Banks Brumby is an angler, photographer and educator based in rural Staffordshire, West Midlan…
Read more
Competitions
14 October 2024

ANGLING TRUST APPOINT NEW MANAGER FOR ENGLAND DISABLED TEAM

The Angling Trust is delighted to confirm the appointment of Paul Etherington as manager of the Engl…
Read more
Competitions
14 October 2024

SILVER FOR ENGLAND IN MASTERS FEEDER WORLD CHAMPS

Match fishing at international level can be the proverbial game of two halves as World Champs are fi…
Read more