There are two species of shad in UK waters, allis shad (Alosa alosa) and twaite shad (Alosa fallax), and both species have a similar life history, spending most of their adult life in the sea, but running up a few select rivers to spawn. The timing of their entry into freshwater is known to be influenced by water temperature, but the first shoals typically arrive in rivers during May, with spawning commencing in June. Whilst in freshwater shad have been caught on rod and line, using tiny blade spinners or fly spoons, and by flyfishing. There are currently only four known breeding populations of shad in the UK and these occur in the Rivers Severn, Wye, Usk and Tywi, and some of their tributaries. Both species are protected in law and are listed under the EC Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention and, importantly, both are listed under the part of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) which protects particular species – Schedule 5. Shad are not however, covered by the salmon and freshwater fisheries act (SAFFA), and an Environment Agency issued rod licence does not therefore provide the holder with permission to target shad. Crucially, the aforementioned legislation, specifically the Wildlife and Countryside Act, makes it an offence to kill, injure or take Allis shad unless a licence has been issued by Natural England or CCW, and the rules for issuing such licences make it unlikely that one would be issued for the purposes of recreational fishing, as they are issued for scientific purposes only. Although the Schedule 5 legislation is less strict for twaite shad, because the two shad species are so similar in terms of appearance and ecology, it is highly unlikely that a licence to fish exclusively for twaite shad could ever be issued either. In addition, the Wildlife and Countryside Act also provides additional protection measures for both twaite and allis shad where they are part (i.e. a listed interest feature) of a Site of Special Scientific Interest. In such sites or SSSI’s, it is an offence to ‘intentionally or recklessly to destroy, damage or disturb any of the fauna (i.e. shad) by reason of which the land (river) is of special interest’. As the River Wye, the Usk, the Tywi and parts of the River Severn are all designated in part as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, this legislation would make it an equivalent offence for anyone to fish for either species of shad in these areas, as this would constitute intentional disturbance. So, in a nutshell, no one currently has the legal right to deliberately target either species of shad on rod and line in SSSI’s, and capture (‘taking’) of an allis shad outwith these areas would also constitute an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
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