Regulating River Fishing in Medieval England

The article examines the regulation of river fishing in medieval England, which began in the early 13th century with the Magna Carta. It was prompted by several factors: the desire to ensure the safety of navigation on rivers dammed by various fishing gear, the need to preserve the number of individuals, especially fry and spawn, for subsequent reproduction in order to maintain the proper level of provision of the population with fish. Religious restrictions on food products, typical of the Middle Ages, also played a role. The measures were recorded in the statutes of the kingdom, which were repeatedly confirmed. They consisted of limiting the terms of permitted fishing and banning certain types of fishing gear (types of nets, their use). Originally, only one type of river fish, salmon, became the object of special government concern, but over time, the word usage in the statutes took on a more general form (“fish”). Some unrealized ideas can also be identified through petitions. In addition, the article attempts to trace the implementation of these regulations. An analysis of the available documents shows that the success of this legislation was rather limited, and its implementation was hampered by private interests that the English government was not prepared to violate

Commercial fishing · Fishing · Legislation · Limiting · Population · Statute · Historical Economic and Legal Thought · Historical Economic and Social Studies · Legal principles and applications