Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has revoked the Shellfish Gathering (Conservation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026. The revocation is made by Statutory Rule 2026 No. 15, signed on 5 February 2026 and in force from 6 February 2026, according to the legislation published on legislation.gov.uk.
The instrument is narrowly framed. Regulation 1 provides the citation and commencement. Regulation 2 revokes the earlier Shellfish Gathering (Conservation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, identified as S.R. 2026 No. 1. The rule is sealed by DAERA and signed by senior officer Owen Lyttle.
DAERA cites section 124(1) and (2) of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 as the enabling power. Those provisions authorise the Department to make subordinate legislation for sea fisheries purposes in Northern Ireland; this Statutory Rule uses those powers solely to revoke the earlier conservation measure.
The immediate legal effect is straightforward: from 6 February 2026, any restrictions or duties that were created solely by S.R. 2026 No. 1 no longer apply. The revocation instrument does not create a replacement regime, modify offences, or introduce transitional arrangements within its own text.
For fisheries stakeholders, day‑to‑day compliance reverts to existing obligations under primary legislation, licences and any other applicable secondary measures that remain in force. Businesses should ensure crew notices, operating procedures and procurement schedules are updated to reflect the revocation date, while continuing to meet all other statutory requirements unrelated to the revoked instrument.
The Explanatory Note attached to S.R. 2026 No. 15 is minimal and confirms only that the earlier conservation regulations are revoked. No policy rationale or implementation guidance is provided in the instrument itself. Operators may wish to monitor DAERA communications for any separate policy statement or guidance that explains the Department’s approach following revocation.
Administratively, the rule is classified under Sea Fisheries and applies to Northern Ireland. The procedural timeline is clear: made on 5 February 2026 and commenced on 6 February 2026. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is recorded as the rule‑making authority on the official legislation record.
If DAERA intends to introduce alternative conservation controls, these would need to be made by a further statutory rule under the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 and laid in the usual way. Until then, compliance focus should remain on extant fisheries legislation, licence conditions and any site‑specific restrictions issued under separate powers.