Technical Conservation and Landing Obligation rules and regulations 2022
Guidance on the technical conservation and landing obligation (discard ban) regulations for 2022. Including how the rules apply, selling undersize fish, reporting requirements and quota management.
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Details
Update October 2023: Changes to Squid measures.
Defra has introduced a Statutory Instrument (SI) to remove the derogation which allows a 40mm mesh size to be used for a directed squid fishery in the North Sea and in North-Western Waters. This derogation will be removed in English waters only.
This decision follows the outcome of the fly-seining consultation that ran last year – see link to summary of responses and government response published by Defra.
The SI (2023/1054) removes the derogation for all towed gears that allows the use of a mesh size of at least 40mm in a directed squid fishery, in the English zone, by removing the squid 40mm conditionality from the Tech Con Annex tables.
The removal of the squid mesh size derogation means that squid can only be targeted with at least 80mm trawls OR larger mesh sizes as required under existing regional technical measures.
The SI was laid before Parliament on the 29 September 2023, with the SI coming into force on 24 October 2023. Read the Sea Fisheries (Amendment) online.
The Sea Fisheries (Amendment etc.) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (2021/1429) brings into effect the 2022 exemption changes. Please note the measures and exemptions to the landing obligation rules detailed within the guidance below apply within UK waters.
Any new exemptions or changes will be brought into force via secondary legislation and will be subject to Parliamentary approval.
When operating in EU waters please refer to the EC rules on discarding
Changes in exemptions within UK waters
New Exemption in force from the 1st of January 2022
- A survivability exemption for sprat and horse mackerel caught in the UK fishery targeting pelagic species mostly not subject to quotas caught in non-Union ICES divisions VIIe and VIIf. There is a similar exemption currently applying to mackerel and herring, and the UK is extending it to also cover sprat and horse mackerel in the ring net fishery.
- A survivability exemption for sole caught within six nautical miles of the coast, but outside identified nursery areas in the under 10m otter trawl fishery in ICES divisions VIIa, VIId, VIIe, VIIf and VIIg. There is currently a sole exemption in VIId (and also in IVc), and we are extending it to these neighbouring ICES areas.
- A 7% de minimis exemption for monkfish caught in the beam trawl fishery in ICES divisions VIId – VIIj (applicable in UK waters only).
Discontinuation of Current Exemptions
The follow exemptions will no longer apply from 2022.
- The cod element, from the de minimis exemption for cod and whiting in ICES areas IVa and IVb. The whiting element of the exemption will continue unaffected.
- De minimis exemption for ling caught by vessels using bottom trawls in ICES area IV.
Last updated
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Changes to squid measures
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13 April 2023 update.
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Addition of 'A review of existing and proposed exemptions from the Landing Obligation applicable in the UK waters of the North Sea and North Western Waters regions'
Update history
2024-07-26 13:55
Small amends
2023-10-31 15:38
Changes to squid measures
2023-04-13 15:51
13 April 2023 update.