The Council of the Isles of Scilly is conducting a consultation on amendments to the Fishing Gear Permit Byelaw 2021 Permit Conditions, on behalf of the Isles of Scilly Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA). The aim of this consultation is to inform stakeholders about proposed amendments to the Permit Conditions and ask for their views on them.
Anyone can respond to this consultation, but we would particularly like to hear from owners of fishing vessels, fishermen that work on vessels owned by others and marine environment organisations, or any individuals with an interest in the marine environment who may be affected by the proposed amendments.
Proposed amendments
The proposed amendments to the Fishing Gear Permit Byelaw 2021 Permit Conditions are summarised below:
1) The addition of a condition that will enable the Authority, when issuing a permit, to require the installation of additional remote sensing gear.
2) To future proof the Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (I-VMS) unit specification by changing the requirement of particular units to allowing any approved unit to meet compliance with the Fishing Gear Permit Byelaw 2021.
3) To add a condition of a maximum tow bar length of 3 meters for vessels using scallop dredges in the district.
4) To introduce a condition of limited fishing time of between 07:00 - 19:00 (local) for vessels using scallop dredges in the district.
Rationale for the proposed changes
IFCA is proposing these amendments because the development of the Isles of Scilly IFCA Fishing Gear Permit Byelaw 2021 began in 2018, and in the time between the commencement of the byelaw development and its confirmation in December 2024, some elements of the permit conditions have become outdated, and some need additional conditions to simplify compliance for permit holders.
The proposed introduction of a limited time to fish with scallop dredges in the district seeks to align with the same measure that is currently in force in both the Cornwall and Devon & Severn IFCA districts.
How to respond to the consultation
To respond to this consultation, please read the consultation draft of the Isles of Scilly IFCA Fishing Gear Byelaw 2021 Permit Conditions in full, and then complete the survey by clicking on the link in the box below:
| Respond to the Isles of Scilly IFCA Fishing Gear Byelaw 2021 Permit Conditions consultation |
All responses to the survey must be received by 4pm on Wednesday 5 November 2025 in order to be considered.
Isles of Scilly IFCA will contact everyone on its existing mailing list to make them aware of this consultation. If you know someone who may be interested in responding to this consultation, but is unlikely to see it online, please ask them to call IFCA's Interim Chief Fishery Officer on 07875 543700 for further advice.
Next steps
The anonymised findings of the formal public consultation will be documented in a report and presented to members of Isles of Scilly IFCA so they can decide whether the amendments should be implemented as proposed. The papers for this meeting will be made available on the committee pages of the Council’s website in advance of the meeting.
Further information
You can find further information about the work of the Isles of Scilly IFCA on the Isles of Scilly IFCA website