River Esk Byelaw Consultation

Closed 11 Apr 2022

Opened 10 Mar 2022

Results updated 11 Aug 2022

You can read a summary of the results from this consultation in the report attached below.

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Overview

This webpage provides information about changes to the River Esk byelaw, proposed by the Environment Agency. In March 2022 we invited interested stakeholders to comment on these proposed changes in an online consultation hosted on this website until the 11th April 2022.  After this date, all comments received were reviewed.  An application was then made to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for confirmation of the revised byelaws.

 

Proposed changes

The current byelaw for the Esk was made under the Water Resources Act 1991.  It prohibits fishing or attempting to take salmon and sea trout, smelt, shad, eels and freshwater fish by any means from the tideway (tidal section) of the River Esk in North Yorkshire, from Ruswarp Weir downstream to the Eskside Wharf in Whitby.  These restrictions are considered necessary to protect the stocks of salmon and sea trout from the pressure of uncontrolled fishing in the tideway. We want to change the current bylaw from its temporary status to make it permanent in order to enhance the protection of these fish stocks.

 

Responding to this consultation

This consultation ran from the 10th March to the 11th April 2022 and is closed.  A copy of the draft byelaw and supporting technical report can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.

What happens next

How we will use your information

At the end of the consultation period,  all responses received were read and considered before amending the byelaw.  We then applied to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for confirmation of the revised byelaws.

The Environment Agency may make responses to the consultation publicly available during and after the consultation, unless you have specifically requested that we keep your response confidential. We will not publish the names of individuals who respond.

We have produced a summary of responses on our website in which we have published the name of the organisation for those responses made on behalf of organisations.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we may be required to publish your response to this consultation, but will not include any personal information. If you have requested your response to be kept confidential, we may still be required to provide a summary of it.

Audiences

  • Recreational and commercial river users
  • Fishing clubs and representative associations
  • Members of the public with an interest in the river, the species and conservation

Interests

  • Fishing and boating