The Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) is seeking to introduce laws that would make it an offence for unlicensed individuals to catch certain types of fish.

The Sea Fisheries Regulations 2023, would restrict the fishing of protected species of fish.

This, the department says, would align the Isle of Man with the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), which specifies protected fish.

The regulations would make it an offence for any person who does not hold a commercial fishing licence or a specific scientific permit to catch any of the protected species, unless every reasonable step is taken to release it alive and unharmed.

Protected species under the regulations include Bluefin Tuna, Yellowfin tuna, Swordfish and Longbill spearfish.

According to DEFA, the species of fish that the ICCAT regulates includes several that are now present or transient in the Isle of Man territorial sea, including Bluefin Tuna.

In the memorandum to Tynwald, DEFA said: ‘Such species have significant economic value but are highly protected internationally due to their relatively poor stock status and biological vulnerability.

'Whilst the targeting and retention of these species is regulated for commercial fishing vessels under the Isle of Man sea fishing licence, there is no domestic legislation that restricts ‘recreational’ (i.e. rod and line) fishers targeting these species.

‘The regulations therefore prohibit the targeting and retention of ICCAT species in order to effectively control fishing activity (commercial/recreational) directed at these internationally protected species.’