Exclusion and restricted zones

Prohibited channels

Vessels over 20 metres in length

The following channels / passages are prohibited to vessels over 20 metres in length:

  • the channel between the southern end of Elizabeth Castle Breakwater and Platte and Oyster Beacons
  • the passage between La Corbière and the outlying reefs consisting of La Boue, Les Boîteaux and Noirmontaise Reef

Leisure craft

There are no prohibited boat channels in Jersey waters for leisure craft.

Commercial vessels

There are three prohibited channels in force for commercial vessels. These are:

  • the small boat passage off Corbière
  • the passage off the Bretts
  • the area between the end of Elizabeth Castle Breakwater and the Platte Beacon to the south

For more details of these commercial vessel restrictions, call Jersey Coastguard on +44 (0) 1534 447705.

Precautionary areas for all vessels

A precautionary area for all vessels exists off St Helier. Mariners navigating in the precautionary area should do so with extreme caution as vessels with limited manoeuvrability may be encountered.

Submarine cables

Live submarine electricity and telecommunications cables exist in local waters and come ashore at the following places:

  • the east coast at Archirondel
  • the west coast at Le Braye
  • the north coast at Greve de Lecq

Numerous other disused cables remain around the Island and in territorial seas, which are marked on current nautical charts.

Mariners are advised to avoid anchoring in areas that are in close proximity to any cables, whether live or not.

If weights are excessive and you suspect that you have become attached to a cable, the following action should be taken:

  • do not endanger your vessel and crew by attempting to recover your gear
  • carefully plot your ship’s position as accurately as possible
  • advise Jersey Coastguard of your situation on VHF channel 82 or telephone +44 (0) 1534 447705

Anchoring

Mariners are prohibited from anchoring in the following areas:

  • designated shellfish beds off the Island’s east coast
  • the parallel box running from Archirondel to the French coast (fishing activity is also prohibited)

You are strongly advised not to anchor within the precautionary area to the south of St Helier Harbour, or any of the boat passages, approach channels or within harbour confines. Each of these areas is marked on current nautical charts.

Further information on this can be found through the following link:

Download general direction 05: Aquaculture (size 288kb)

Speed limits

Harbours (Inshore Safety) (Jersey) Regulations 2012 (as amended)

General Direction No 1

No person shall use, or permit, any ship to be used for sporting or recreational activities to:

  1. proceed at speeds in excess of 5 knots at any time: in any Harbour, or closer than 200 metres of the water’s edge in any bay, except under the authority of a permit granted by the Harbour Master or other person under delegated powers and in accordance with any conditions attached thereto, or when engaged in SAR operations 3.
  2. be driven that is towing a person or persons engaged in any activity unless the driver of the ship is accompanied on the ship by another person experienced in that activity, whose function is to watch over the person or persons being towed. Such a person must face the person or persons being towed. Any craft towing a person or person must be able to carry the person being towed in addition to those already on board it.
  3. engage in towing of any description from a jet-ski or surf jet or any similar kind of craft, unless that craft is designed by the manufacturer so to do. In such case the towing requirements of (b) also apply.

General Direction No: 2

Speed Limits in Harbour Areas

  1. No person shall drive or permit a vessel to be navigated in a harbour or the fairway of any harbour (see GD8) at such speed as may cause or be likely to cause the wash from the vessel to do damage to any other vessel or to any property. At no time shall a craft be permitted, within any harbours to proceed at a speed greater than five knots, except as identified below.
  2. St Helier. The five knot speed limit in paragraph 1 above applies to vessels operating within an area northwards of a line between the south-west arm of the La Collette Harbour Tanker Berth and Elizabeth Castle Hermitage and south eastwards of the line joining Fort Charles Slipway and West Park Slipway. Elsewhere within St Helier Port Limits (including the approach channels and the precautionary area) the 5 knot restriction does not apply, except for inshore areas referred to in GD 1.
  3. Gorey Harbour. The five knot speed limit applies within the harbour from a position abeam the pier head assessed for a vessel entering or departing on the main charted approach channel. To seaward of the Pierhead, the speed limit does not apply.
  4. Les Écrehous. GD 1 limits the speed of PWCs to five knots anywhere in the vicinity of Les Écrehous where the charted depth is less than 10m. For other craft, the general speed restrictions limiting speed within a harbour to five knots, do not apply. However, mariners are advised not to create excessive wash when passing vessels moored or people on the coastline/beaches.
  5. General Safety. In harbours where recreational sailing is conducted under supervision, safety boats involved in the management and training of these marine activities may exceed the speed limit, but only when required to ensure safety. These activities have been identified as taking place within the limits of St Catherine’s and St Aubin’s harbours.

Fishing

Granville Bay Treaty

The Granville Bay Treaty is a trans-boundary management framework between the Jersey and French governments. It provides for shared fishing rights and management over the Granville Bay area (outside the exclusive three mile limits) and divides the area into management zones.

The Granville Bay Treaty is principally managed by Government of Jersey departments rather than Ports of Jersey.

UK managed treaty

The UK Fisheries Management Agreement sets Jersey’s relationship with the UK.

This agreement is managed by Government of Jersey departments rather than Ports of Jersey.

Port restricted zones

Information about the restricted zones can be found in the ‘Port restricted zones‘ document.