The public right to fish: Is it fit for purpose?

The comment: `we live on an island made of coalsurrounded by a sea full of fish, only an organisationalgenius could arrange a shortage of both at the sametime', is attributed to Aneurin Bevan. The RoyalCommission on Environmental Pollution, the EuropeanUnion, Downing Street3 and even this journal'seditor have highlighted the need for radical reformto stop over-fishing taking place in our seas. Inresponse, the UK Government has set aside time forlegislation in the form of a Marine Bill. Reform of thestructure of UK fisheries administration will play a keypart of that Bill.5 It is therefore timely to consider therole which the public right to fish plays in the currentlegal structure of fisheries, as it is an important oneand often overlooked by the commentators. Bylooking at its context, history and extent, this articlewill investigate whether there are mechanisms withincommon law to counter over-fishing or whether thepublic right itself needs to be reformed