UK Bass nursery areas – the extra rule you must observe
European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) are a popular – but regulated – choice for British anglers.
Annually-updated rules are published for recreational fishing for bass, but it would be easy to overlook an additional protection this species has – Bass Nursery Areas.
Protected Bass Breeding Waters
The The Bass (Specified Areas) (Prohibition of Fishing) (Variation) Order 1999 was brought in to protect the breeding grounds for this species. It marked out zones (mostly tidal estuaries, harbours and power station outflows) where juvenile bass can be found, and where additional restrictions are required to protect that stock.
In the areas listed below, during the periods mentioned, you cannot keep any bass that you catch while fishing with a rod from from a boat.
It also prohibited to fish for any sea-fish in these areas while using sand-eels as bait.
The rules apply to fishing from boats, but it is also expected that any shore-based anglers will respect these rules and return any bass caught within these areas during the restricted periods.
You can read the full regulations here, or the excellent summary on the UKBass website.
| Bass Nursery Area | Period |
|---|---|
| Blyth Power Station All tidal waters enclosed by a line in the south bearing 108.5° true from the Blyth Power Station chimneys in transit, to the east by a line bearing 173.5° true from a transit of the Alcan Power Station chimney and the western pylon of the northern pair of measured mile markers and to the north by a line bearing 111° true being a transit of the yellow “X” Northumberland Water Authority pipeline markers | All year |
| Bradwell Power Station The area between the Baffle Wall and the Bradwell foreshore enclosed by lines drawn perpendicular (145° true) from the NE and SW corners of the Baffle Wall to the shore | |
| Grain Power Station The area enclosed by a line drawn 120° true through Grain Martello Tower and Grain Hard Buoy to Garrison Point, and a line drawn 114° true from the foreshore at Grain Power Station to the western extremity of the Ro Ro Terminal, and the Isle of Grain and Sheerness foreshores | |
| Kingsnorth Power Station The area enclosed by Bee Ness Jetty and a line drawn 204° true to the tip of Oakham Ness Jetty, thence 260° true to the SE tip of Kingsnorth Jetty, and along the seaward arm of Kingsnorth Jetty and then 298° true to the Kingsnorth power station foreshore | |
| Dungeness Power Station All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 180° true from the eastern end of the Dungeness 'A' building to a point 600 m below MLW Springs, thence 270° true for a distance of 1 km, thence 000° true to the shore marked by an isolated building “hangar B1” situated between the Dungeness 'B' complex and the Power Station | |
| Chichester Harbour All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 192° true from Eastoke Point to Chichester Bar Beacon, then 078° true to Cakeham Tower | Between 30 April and 1 November |
| Langstone Harbour All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 153° true from the Gunnery Range Light at Eastney Point to Langstone Fairway Buoy (50° 46.25N 01° 01.27W), then 033° true to the foreshore east of Gunner Point | |
| Portsmouth Harbour All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn from Gilkicker Point to Southsea Castle | |
| Southampton Water All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 090° true from the Cadland foreshore to the Warsash foreshore passing through the north-west extremity of the Esso tanker jetty but excluding those waters above the Redbridge Causeway on the River Test | |
| Fawley Power Station The area enclosed by a circle drawn with a radius of 556 metres around the outfall from Fawley Power Station | All year |
| Poole Harbour All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 011° true from Jerry’s Point, through Branksea Castle to Salterns Pier | Between 30 April and 1 November |
| The Fleet All tidal waters of the Fleet inside Ferry Bridge | All year |
| River Exe, Devon All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 068° true from Langstone Point to Orcombe Point | Between 30 April and 1 November |
| River Teign All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 000° true from the Ness to the southernmost leading light | |
| River Dart, Devon All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 064° true from Combe Point to Inner Froward Point | Between 30 April and 1 January |
| Salcombe Harbour All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 090° true from Splat Point to Limebury Point | |
| River Avon, Devon All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 206° true from Warren Point at Bigbury-on-Sea to Burgh Island, and a line drawn 090° true from the southern tip of Burgh Island to the coast | |
| River Yealm All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 205° true from Season Point to Mouthstone Point | |
| Plymouth Rivers All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn from the western end of Mountbatten Pier 268° true to the landing beacon at Wilderness Point in the River Tamar | All year |
| River Fowey All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 270° true from Penleath Point to the opposite shore | Between 30 April and 1 January |
| Fal Estuary All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 045° true from Weir Point to Turnaware Point | |
| Percuil River All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 151° true from St Mawes Castle to Carricknath Point | |
| Helford River All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 199° true from Rosemullion Head to Dennis Head | |
| Camel Estuary All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 020° true from Stepper Point to Pentire Point | Between 30 April and 1 December |
| River Torridge All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 290° true from Zeta Berth to the opposite shore | Between 30 April and 1 November |
| River Taw All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 190° true from the western end of Braunton Pill to the site of the former power station at Yelland | |
| Aberthaw Power Station All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn at a radius of 1 nautical mile from Breaksea Point | All year |
| Burry Inlet All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 071° true from Whiteford Lighthouse to Llanelli Docks and a line drawn 180° true from Whiteford Lighthouse to the shore | Between 30 April and 1 November |
| Taf, Tywi and Gwendraeth Estuary All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 119° true from Ginst Point to Pen Towyn Point | |
| Milford Haven All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn from the shore along the eastern side of the Texaco Terminal approach jetty to the southernmost part of the T jetty thence eastwards along the southern edge of the jetty to the extremity at No. 3 berth (51° 41.87N, 04° 57.58W) and then 098° true through the Pennar Beacon to the Llanreath foreshore (51° 41.55N, 04° 57.58W) and by a line drawn 162° true along the seaward side of the Pembroke to Neyland road bridge | |
| Teifi Estuary All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn from the Boathouse, Penrhyn to the Cliff Hotel, Gwbert | |
| River Dyfi All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 168° true from Trefeddian Hotel (52° 32.8N, 04° 03.6W) to the flag pole at Ynys Las (52° 31.4N, 04° 03.8W) | |
| River Mawddach All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 226° true from the flagpole at Barmouth (52° 43.1N, 04° 03.1W) to the perch at 52° 42.7N, 04° 03.7W thence 155° true to the corner of the sea wall at Fairbourne (52° 42.5N, 04° 03.6W) | |
| Dwyryd/Glaslyn Estuary All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 152° true from the White House (52° 54.4N, 04° 09.1W) to Harlech Point (52° 53.7N, 04° 08.5W) | |
| Conwy Estuary All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn in a northerly direction from Penmaen-bach Point 001° true to the most westerly point of Great Ormes Head | |
| Dee Estuary All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 213° true from Hilbre Point to Mostyn Quay | Between 31 May and 1 October |
| Heysham Power Station All tidal waters enclosed by a line drawn 085° true from No. 7 buoy (54° 01.22N, 002° 56.28W) to the shore, a line drawn 020° true from No. 7 buoy towards the Dolphin (54° 02.40N, 02° 55.52W), and a line drawn 102° true through the leading lights to Heysham Harbour | All year” |
Richard is a UK wilderness skills and outdoor safety instructor with over a decade of experience working on expeditions, in SAR, training the military and emergency services.
He has appeared on television and web series numerous times, and is a regular contributor to podcasts, magazines and other publications.