A £3.4M buyout will cut the number of salmon caught off the North-East coast by drift nets.
The Environment Agency, which licenses fishing, has confirmed that 52 out of the 68 remaining netsmen have accepted a voluntary compensation scheme to quit drift netting to help support the conservation of salmon stocks.
From next month, only 16 fishermen will be licensed to catch salmon with drift nets along the coast between North Yorkshire and the Scottish border, compared with 142 in 1992.
Agency spokesman Steve Bailey said: "Fishermen can rest assured that we will continue to vigorously enforce fisheries laws.
"We are committed to maintaining enforcement standards through our fisheries enforcement and specialist teams.
"We will welcome any information about illegal fishing activities and those who seek to act outside the law."
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