United Kingdom

(1) Subject to subsection (4) below, no person shall— (a) use any of the following instruments, that is to say— (i) a firearm within the meaning of the Firearms Act 1968; (ii) an otter lath or jack, wire or snare; (iii) a crossline or setline; (iv) a spear, gaff, [tailer,] stroke-haul, snatch or other like instrument; (v) a light; ... for the purpose of taking or killing salmon, trout or freshwater fish ... (3A) References in this section to any waters include waters adjoining the coast of England and Wales to a distance of six nautical miles measured from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. [The word 'tailer' was inserted by amendment with effect from 12 January 2010; quotation is from the current in-force consolidated text on legislation.gov.uk.]

Schedule 1, para 2(1): A person who unlawfully takes or destroys, or attempts to take or destroy, any fish in water which is private property or in which there is any private right of fishery shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine ... Para 2(2): Subparagraph (1) above shall not apply to taking or destroying fish by angling in the daytime (that is to say, in the period beginning one hour before sunrise and ending one hour after sunset); but a person who by angling in the daytime unlawfully takes or destroys, or attempts to take or destroy, any fish in water which is private property or in which there is any private right of fishery shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine ...

Recreational fisheries, including from shore, in ICES divisions 4b, 4c, 6a, 7a and 7d to 7j are limited to catch-and-release using rod and handline only during 1 February to 31 March. Outside of this period, recreational fishers are limited to three fish per day bag limits as agreed in annual negotiations with the EU and amended by The Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2026. The minimum size of European seabass is 42 cm. All specimens below this size must be released.

By way of derogation from Annex XII to Regulation (EC) No 850/98, the minimum size for sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in Region 2, as defined in Article 2 of that Regulation, shall be 42 cm.

(1) A person is guilty of an offence under this section if— (a) the person without lawful excuse does a prohibited act, (b) at the time of doing that act, the person knows, or ought to have known, that the feature to which the act relates is in, or forms part of, an MCZ, and (c) the act has significantly hindered, or may significantly hinder, the achievement of the conservation objectives stated for the MCZ. (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), a person does a prohibited act if the person— (a) intentionally or recklessly kills or injures any animal in an MCZ which is a protected feature of that MCZ, (b) intentionally picks or collects, or intentionally or recklessly cuts, uproots or destroys, any plant in an MCZ which is a protected feature of that MCZ, (c) intentionally or recklessly takes anything from an MCZ which is, or forms part of, a protected feature of that MCZ, or (d) intentionally or recklessly destroys or damages any habitat or feature which is a protected feature of an MCZ.

Section 153: The authority for an IFC district must manage the exploitation of sea fisheries resources in that district. ... Section 155(1): For the purposes of performing the duty imposed by section 153 or the duty imposed by section 154, the authority for an IFC district may make byelaws for that district. ... Section 156(1): The provision that may be made by a byelaw under section 155 includes provision falling within any one or more of the Heads set out in— (a) subsection (3) (prohibition or restriction of exploitation of sea fisheries resources), (b) subsection (4) (permits), (c) subsection (5) (vessels, methods and gear), (d) subsection (6) (protection of fisheries for shellfish), (e) subsection (7) (monitoring of exploitation of resources); (f) subsection (8) (information). Section 156(3): Head 1 is provision prohibiting or restricting the exploitation of sea fisheries resources. [Byelaws under these Heads are the powers under which IFCA minimum-size, no-take and method byelaws affecting spearfishing are made.]

Subject to the provisions of this Part, if any person intentionally kills, injures or takes any wild animal included in Schedule 5, he shall be guilty of an offence. [Schedule 5 protected marine species include the short-snouted and spiny (long-snouted) seahorses and the angel shark (Squatina squatina); taking them by spear is therefore an offence.]

(1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, any person who fishes for or takes freshwater fish in any inland waters except by rod and line shall be guilty of an offence, and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale. ... (3) In any pond or loch where all the owners are agreed, a right of fishing may be exercised by net. (4) In any inland waters an owner or occupier may fish for or take freshwater fish, other than trout, by net or trap. [Because the only lawful recreational method is rod and line, spearfishing for freshwater fish in Scottish inland waters is an offence.]