Recreational anglers along the North Sea and Irish Sea coasts will be able to retain three European seabass per person per day from 27 February 2026. Ministers have also confirmed that picked dogfish (spurdog) will no longer be treated as a prohibited species in law, with controls moving into vessel licence conditions. The change follows updated scientific advice and UK–EU talks concluded in December.

Day‑to‑day, the basics for anglers remain familiar. There is still a catch‑and‑release period from 1 February to 31 March in key ICES areas covering our coast, the minimum size stays at 42cm, and fixed nets remain out for bass. Until the law switch takes effect, the bag limit stays at two fish; afterwards it rises to three. That’s straight from the Marine Management Organisation’s bass guidance, updated at the turn of the year. (gov.uk)

The increase to three has been trailed since the UK–EU 2026 fisheries deal, where negotiators signed off a modest uplift for recreational anglers while keeping the spring catch‑and‑release and size limit in place. Angling groups welcomed the move as a long‑sought win that should give charter businesses a small but meaningful lift once the closed period ends. (eaa-europe.org)

For Northern ports - from North Shields, Amble and Blyth to Whitby, Scarborough and across to Fleetwood and Maryport - this tidies up an awkward grey area. Skippers told us they’ve been fielding calls about “two or three?” since Christmas; the rulebook now catches up with the deal. The MMO’s guidance is clear on the closed period, size, and gear rules; the only change is the daily bag when the new instrument is in force. (gov.uk)

Spurdog matters for small boats too. Historically listed as a ‘prohibited species’ in Article 16 of EU Regulation 2020/123, spurdog has been managed recently via cautious openings and licence conditions. The UK–EU 2026 written record confirms a further shift this year - removing the 100cm maximum size to reflect ICES advice - with UK controls to sit squarely in vessel licences rather than a blanket ban. (eur-lex.europa.eu)

Scottish ministers have already written to Holyrood confirming consent to the UK statutory instrument and setting out that the seabass bag‑limit change will be implemented through this UK‑wide measure, while spurdog will be handled through licences. That alignment means ports on both sides of the border should see the rules change on the same day. (parliament.scot)

For crews and charter skippers, the practical takeaway is simple: keep doing what you’re doing through February and March - catch‑and‑release only - then plan for three‑fish retention days once the law kicks in. Check local nursery‑area restrictions and any IFCA or Marine Directorate notices before heading out, and make sure clients understand the 42cm minimum size. (gov.uk)

Commercially, nothing here opens a new targeted spurdog free‑for‑all. Landings limits and any bycatch ceilings for spurdog continue to be set out in vessel licence conditions, which authorities can tweak as scientific advice shifts. The 2026 UK–EU record explicitly flags that management approach and the removal of the old 100cm cap. (gov.scot)

One final date point for diaries: the instrument was laid before Parliament in early February and takes effect at the end of the month. DEFRA’s Minister of State Dame Angela Eagle is the signatory on the measure; her brief covers fisheries and she’s been in post since September 2025. (parliament.scot)