Canal Zander – On Death Row !!!!

Yeap the message is still as confusing as ever. After some communication via Twitter sometime ago and wanted to get clarification again as in March I’ll be starting my double figure canal Zander quest again come the close season.

Anyway an email was received back very promptly last Friday from John Ellis who is the National Fisheries and Angling Manager for the Canal and Rivers Trust.

Pay particular attention to the last bullet….

Thank you for your enquiry via John Harding. My answer is slightly ‘long winded’ but I think it’s important that people understand the background and where the Canal & River Trust currently finds itself.

• Ultimately the rules (law) regarding zander and other non-native fish species is not set by the Canal & River Trust, it is the police, Natural England and the Environment Agency who regulate the various components of fisheries law. The Trust naturally has to work within the law.

• When we applied for KIFR site permits, we did suggest to the regulator that a Midlands canal zander zone be set up where this non-native invasive species could be permanently kept. This suggestion was not accepted by the regulator.

• Consequently, the Trust must adhere to the terms and conditions of our KIFR site permits. A link to one of these is here https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/refresh/media/thumbnail/30781-canal-kifr-site-permit.pdf

• So as the law stands, the Trust can’t tell an angler that it is legal to return a zander, for on the canal network it is not legal whereas on a river it may well be lawful to return. For what it’s worth the same would apply to all other non-native fish .

John W Ellis BSc(Hons) MIFM C Biol MRSB
National Fisheries and Angling Manager