
1 

(1) This Order may be cited as the Marking of Creels (Scotland) Order 2020 and comes into force on 20 June 2020.
(2) This Order extends to Scotland only.
(3) This Order applies to waters which are treated as the territorial sea of the United Kingdom adjacent to Scotland, within the boundaries described in article 3 and schedule 1 of the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999.
2 

(1) In this Order—
 “the Act” means the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967,
 “British fishing boat” means a fishing boat which is either registered in the United Kingdom under Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 or is owned wholly by persons qualified to own British ships for the purpose of that Part of that Act,
 “creel” means a basket, small cage, pot, receptacle or container with one or more openings or entrances which may be baited and which is placed on the seabed for the purpose of catching sea fish,
 “dhan” means a buoy with a flag on it,
 “fleet of creels” means a number of creels attached to a single length of connecting rope,
 “licensed fishing boat” means a British fishing boat in respect of which a licence has been issued under an order made under section 4 of the Act,
 “marker buoy” means any equipment specifically designed for marking the position of other equipment in water, including—
(a) buoys, and
(b) dhans,
 “parlour creel” means a creel which has at least two compartments, entry to one or more of which is likely to be gained only through an internal connection from another compartment, and
 “PLN number” means a fishing boat’s port number within the meaning of regulation 31 of the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Regulations 1993.
(2) For the purposes of articles 3 and 4 of this Order, the term “creel” includes parlour creels.
3 

(1) This article applies to the use of any creel or fleet of creels whether deployed for fishing in connection with a British fishing boat or deployed otherwise.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), where a creel or a fleet of creels is used for fishing, one or more marker buoys must be fixed to it.
(3) Where a fleet of creels consists of 10 or more creels, at least one marker buoy must be fixed to each end of the fleet of creels.
4 

(1) This article applies where any creel or fleet of creels is deployed for fishing in connection with a licensed fishing boat.
(2) A marker buoy must display the same PLN number as is displayed on the hull of the licensed fishing boat from which the marker buoy is deployed.
(3) The PLN number must be displayed on the marker buoy—
(a) as high above the water as possible so as to be clearly visible, and
(b) in a colour contrasting with the surface on which it is displayed so as to be clearly legible.
(4) Only one PLN number must be displayed on a marker buoy and, in the case of a fleet of creels, all marker buoys fixed to it must display the same PLN number.
(5) The PLN number displayed on a marker buoy must not be effaced, altered or allowed to become illegible.
FERGUS EWING
A member of the Scottish Government
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
3rd June 2020