From Monday November 17th skippers of vessels holding Special Sole Permits and using beam trawls will have to decide whether or not they want to fish inside or outside the Sole Recovery Zone area of VIIe on any individual trip.
The new licence condition will not allow them to do both on any one trip.
Skippers must decide prior to leaving port whether they wish to fish inside the protected area and notify the fisheries call centre of their intentions.
When transiting an area where the vessel is not allowed to fish, beam trawls and all fishing gear must be inboard, lashed and stowed in such a manner that it cannot readily be used.
The MFA considers the new licence condition necessary to safeguard this stock, and to ensure that catches of sole caught in the West Channel are fully recorded to the correct sea area.
