Permits issued under section 14
Section 14 of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966, as amended, provides exemptions for artificial propagation and improvement of a fishery. The Department may, by permit in writing, and subject to any conditions specified in the permit, authorise any named person to do, at any season of the year, such things as may be specified in the permit for the purpose of artificial propagation of salmon or freshwater fish or for the improvement of any inland fishery.
A section 14 permit authorises the holder to carry out activities which would normally be illegal. Examples of activities permitted under the authority of these permits include catching and being in possession of salmon or trout by electric fishing for supportive breeding programmes, or catching fresh water fish by an approved method for transfer between inland fisheries.
Application form and guidance
Applications for Section 14 permits MUST be received 7 working days before the start date of the operation.
Permits issued under section 48
Section 48 of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 as amended makes it an offence to remove material from a riverbed without prior approval from the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure. The removal of watercourse substrate can degrade fisheries habitat, cause mortalities to the spawn and fry of salmonids (Atlantic salmon and brown trout) and disturb the natural behaviour of adult fish with resulting negative impacts.
A section 48 permit authorises the holder to carry out activities which would normally be illegal (i.e. the removal of river bed substrate) with operations restricted by such conditions as the Department considers appropriate.
Application form and guidance
Applications for Section 48 permits MUST be received 28 working days before the start of the operation.
Exemption permits issued under sections 54, 58 and 59
The Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966, as amended and Sections 54, 58 and 59, in particular, set out clearly the responsibility on water abstractors to protect fish.
Abstractors must comply with the provisions of the Act unless the Department has issued an exemption permit containing specific alternative measures for fish protection, relating to that site.
The law recognises that operators may encounter serious problems in complying strictly with the regulations outlined in these sections. In addition, strict compliance with the law, in certain circumstances, may potentially be damaging to fish. It is also impossible to frame legislation for the protection of migratory fish, which would suit every location. Accordingly, the Fisheries Act provides for the Department to grant exemption certificates where it is satisfied that acceptable and, in many cases, superior alternative measures can be provided. In such cases the law permits the Department to issue an exemption permit containing such conditions as the Department considers will provide equal or better fish protection at the site.
These permits will only be issued after consultation with the abstractor. DAERA IF may also consult with directly adjacent fishery owners.
Application
Persons applying for an exemption permit should do so on the application form below:
Contact
For more information or further guidance, contact:
Inland Fisheries (Headquarters)Clare House
303 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED Email: anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk During office hours Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm:
Phone: 0300 200 7860 Outside Northern Ireland and UK:
Phone: +44 28 9151 3101