From North Shields to Morecambe Bay, new rules take effect on 27 February 2026: recreational sea anglers can keep three European seabass a day, and the long‑standing 100cm maximum size rule on spurdog (picked dogfish) is removed. The changes are set by the Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2026, made on 5 February and laid before Parliament on 6 February, following UK–EU negotiations on 2026 fishing opportunities. “Help recover important stocks whilst also giving fishing communities the opportunities they need to thrive,” said Fisheries Minister Dame Angela Eagle in a December statement. (gov.uk)

For anglers, the basics still stand: February and March remain catch‑and‑release only, and the minimum size for bass stays at 42cm. The Marine Management Organisation’s guidance confirms a two‑fish daily limit until the legislation takes effect, after which the new three‑fish bag limit applies in ICES 4b–4c, 6a, 7a and 7d–7j. (gov.uk)

On spurdog, the legal tweak is precise but important. Article 16 of Council Regulation 2020/123 currently prohibits landing picked dogfish when “greater than 100cm in length”, with a measuring note attached. The UK instrument deletes point (n) and the measuring paragraph, removing that 100cm cap; ministers intend to manage any remaining restrictions through vessel licence conditions rather than a blanket prohibition. (legislation.gov.uk)

Scottish ministers set out the rationale in a 9 January letter to Holyrood, noting the UK–EU deal will “remove the 100cm maximum size” for spurdog after fresh ICES advice, alongside a lower TAC. They also flagged that commercial changes will run via licence conditions, while the recreational bass limit change is delivered through this UK SI. (parliament.scot)

The Angling Trust and the Bass Anglers’ Sportfishing Society called the uplift “a long‑awaited win for recreational sea anglers”, stressing the February–March closure and 42cm size rule remain. For charter operators along the Yorkshire and North‑East coasts, they argue the third fish “offers a vital boost” once catch‑and‑release ends. (fish-break.com)

Not everyone is cheering the spurdog shift. The Shark Trust welcomed the TAC reduction but is “concerned by the commitment to remove the 100cm maximum size limit” without a clear size‑based safeguard to replace it. Expect scrutiny as licence conditions are drafted and tested on the water. (sharktrust.org)

For Northern skippers, the practicalities matter. Check your licence variation and quota letters before sailing, keep catch reporting tight, and brief customers that February and March remain catch‑and‑release for bass. The MMO’s bass guidance will be updated to reflect the three‑fish limit once the SI takes effect. (gov.uk)

Behind the technical edits is the wider 2026 deal with the EU, which underpins both the bass change and the removal of the spurdog size cap. DEFRA’s 10 December note confirms the shift and frames it as part of a tougher year for several pressured stocks. For crews and coastal businesses from Whitby to the Solway, the test now is whether sustainability and steady work can both hold through 2026. (gov.uk)