Recommended Retention Size Limits (RRSLs) & DEFRA Minimum Landing Sizes (MLSs)

The UK Government, via DEFRA, lay down only certain Minimum Landing Sizes (MLSs).  However, with conservation in mind, the NFSA provide Recommended Retention Size Limits (RRSLs) for the majority of fish likely to be caught in UK waters.  An RRSL is a suggested size for a fish below which it should returned to the sea. Should there be any dispute on the measurement of a fish, the Match Organisers Master Measure will be the deciding measure.  All fish are to be measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail fin, except Skates and Rays which are to be measured wing tip to wing tip.

SPECIE

MAFF
MLSs (cm)

BOAT
RRSLs (cm)

SHORE
RRSLs (cm)

Bass

36 (note 4)

41

41

Bream

 23 (note 3&4)

24

24

Brill

 30 (note 3)

35

35

Bull Huss

 

58

58

Coalfish (Saith)

35

35

35

Cod

35

35

35

Conger Eel

58 (note 3)

120

91

Dab

 23 (note 3)

20

20

LS Dogfish

 

46

38

Flounder

 27 (note 3)

25

25

Garfish

 

38

38

Tub Gurnard

 

28

28

Haddock

30

35

30

Hake

27 (note 4)

30

30

John Dory

 

33

25

Ling

63

72

72

Mackerel

30 (note 1)

30

30

Megrim

20 (note 4)

25

25

Mullet

 15 (note 3&4)

33

33

Plaice

27

28

28

Pollack

30

30

30

Pouting

 

25

18

Poor Cod

 

18

18

Rockling

 

18

18

Silver Eel

 

38

38

Spurdog

 

58

58

All Skates and Rays (Note 2)

 

41

41

Smoothhound

 

51

51

Sole

24 (note 3&4)

25

25

Scad

 

25

25

Trigger Fish

 

30

30

Turbot

 30 (note 3)

41

35

Whiting

27

27

27

Witch

 28 (note 3)

28

28

Ballan Wrasse

 

23

23

Unclassified

 

20

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

kg

kg

Halibut

 

10

3

Monkfish

 

7

7

Sharks

 

23

18

Tope

 

9

9

Local Sea Fisheries Committee Bylaws must be observed if applicable.

Notes:     1.   30 cm in North Sea, 20 cm elsewhere.

  2.   Rays and Skate measured across the wings.

3.    Southern Sea Fisheries impose the limits shown, note the further classification: Black Bream 23 cms, Lemon Sole 25 cms, Red Mullet 15 cms.

4.    Cornwall Sea Fisheries impose the limits shown here