Fish

Protected Species:

Legal Protections

Full protection under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) is offered to the following species:

basking shark
vendace
powan

Other species are listed on Schedule 3 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended). These are:

river lamprey
Atlantic salmon – protected in freshwater only
allis shad
twaite shad
vendace
powan

The sturgeon, a rare visitor to Scotland, is a European protected species under the Habitats Regulations 1994 Schedule 3 – animals listed on Annex V of the Habitats and Species Directive whose natural range includes Great Britain.

For fully protected Schedule 5 species, it is an offence to:

intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take fish
possess or sell fish
intentionally or recklessly disturb or harass fish

Survey Timings

Fish surveys can be undertaken by our trained and qualified team of electrofishers using efish equipment. By stop netting up and down stream stretches of watercourses or rivers we are able to provide a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the species and numbers of fish within a development. We have also undertaken fish translocation to permit temporary in-river works. Salmonid fish should be surveyed June to September. Coarse fish surveys should be carried out February/March and August to October.

Licensable Issues

Licensing allows named individuals to carry out actions that could otherwise constitute an offence in relation to a protected fish species. These activities include surveying, conservation, scientific, research or educational purposes.

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