Get a fishing vessel licence: over 10 metres

Overview

Fishing anywhere by a British fishing boat is prohibited unless authorised by a licence,licence. unless you’re exempt. If you fish without a licence or don’tdo not comply with your licence conditions, you may be prosecuted. All owners are jointly liable for any offences committed by the vessel.

To protect fish stocksstocks, noMMO newdoes licencesnot areissue creatednew licences and there are a limited number of licences in circulation. The only way you can get a licence is by transferring an existing one to your vessel. You need a licence entitlement to do this.

Exemptions

IfYou any of the following points are true, you don’t need a licence.licence Iffor your vessel isif onlyany used:of the following apply:

• it doesn’t have an engine
• it will only be used to fish for common eels, salmon or migratory trout – you do need a rod licence
• you fish only within the 12 nautical mile limits around Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man – you may need a licence from the suitable authority
• you only use your vessel to fish for pleasure

Register your vessel

You must register your vessel on the UK Ship Registry to get a fishing vessel licence, unless your vessel is registered in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

For more information contact the:

• UK Ship Register
• Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) (MCA)

Get a licence entitlement

You can get an entitlement by obtaining:

• the entitlement from a vessel that has sunk, been scrapped or is no longer being used for fishing
• a licence currently on a vessel

You need to make sure the entitlement(s) is:

• the correct licence category for your fishing requirements. See See licences and permits
• suitable for a vessel over 10 metres
• suitable for any shellfish, scallop, and beam trawl area 4 or 7 requirements (if applicable). See See licences and permits
• the correct tonnage of your vessel and
• the correct engine power (kilowattage) of your vessel

You can license a vessel using one licence entitlement. This is referred to as a single licence transfer. If required, you can aggregatecombine two or more entitlements to coverlicense your vessel. This is referred to as an aggregation. You can also split an entitlement viawhich anis ‘Applicationreferred to Disaggregateas a Fishingdisaggregation.

Aggregation Vesseland Licencedisaggregation Entitlementrules

Only (AFL19)licences formof Commercialthe fishingsame vesselcategory may be aggregated otherwise the licence applicationissued formswill  ifbe youdowngraded haveto surplusthe KWlowest orcommon tonnage.

Aggregationlevel andof disaggregationauthorisation rules:

of all the licence entitlements used.

OnlyIf licencesyou ofwant theto samedisaggregate typea andlicence categoryentitlement maythat behas aggregateda together.shellfish, Wherescallop, thisor isbeam nottrawl possible,permit, the licencepermit issuedcan only be allocated to one of the incomingdisaggregated vesselparts. You can choose which part will bereceive downgradedthe topermit takeon the lowestAFL19 commonapplication. levelIf ofa authorisationdonor ofentitlement has multiple permits, they can all be allocated to one disaggregated part or split over the donornumber licenceof entitlements.disaggregated parts being created.  All other parts relating to that permit will be allocated a track record.

OnFor disaggregationexample, anythe beamdonor trawl,entitlement has a shellfish permit, a scallop dredging,permit, orand shellfisha permitsbeam associatedtrawl witharea 4 track record:

• you have applied to split an entitlement into two new disaggregated parts.
• you have requested the licence,shellfish willpermit to be permittedallocated to the first new disaggregated part.
• you have requested the scallop permit to be allocated to bethe used,second innew onedisaggregated transactionpart

As only,the eithershellfish collectivelypermit orhas singlybeen (nominatedallocated into the AFL19first form).new However,disaggregated otherpart, componentsa ofshellfish track record will be allocated to the second new disaggregated licence,part.

As notthe scallop permit has been allocated withto anythe ofsecond thesenew permitsdisaggregated willpart, retaina scallop track record andwill be allocated to the first new disaggregated part.

As the donor entitlement already has a beam trawl area 4 track record, both new disaggregated parts will also carry a beam trawl area 4 track record.

Disaggregated parts may be aggregated with baselicence licencesentitlements which do carry anya offull thesepermit permits,to withoutform thea resultantgreater licence losingentitlement thatwhich authoritydoes (aggregationscarry involvingthat componentspermit. withoutAggregations suchusing permitstwo or more disaggregated parts with track recordrecords, wouldor at least one licence entitlement without a permit at all, will result in the loss of thesethe permits).permit.

Transferring

Establishing a licence/licencelicence entitlement

When the current holder removes the licence from a vessel and wants to anotherretain partythe entitlement this process is referred to as establishing an entitlement.

TheIf currentyou licence/entitlementare the current holder and want to establish an entitlement, you will need to complete applicationapplication  ‘EstablishEstablishment or Transfertransfer of an Entitlemententitlement and Transfertransfer of a Licence’licence that is administered by Marine Management Organisation (AFL7).

Once declaringMMO thatreceives the application, if everything is in order, they arewill surrenderingaim theto send your ‘Notification of Entitlement’ within 5 working days.

You should note that a Notification of Entitlement is NOT a valid fishing vessel licence.

Transferring a licence/licence entitlement

If you are the current holder and want to transfer a newlicence holder.entitlement, Inyou will need to complete application Establishment or transfer of an entitlement and transfer of a licence that is administered by Marine Management Organisation (AFL7) to surrender the licence entitlement.

If you are wanting a licence entitlement to be transferred into your name, you do not need to complete this application theybut you will need to provide the current licence/licenceholder entitlementwith the following details andso thethey newcan holder’stell name,us address,that emailthey andare mobilesurrendering phonethe number.rights to their licence/licence entitlement to you.

The MMOcurrent holder will checkneed the applicationfollowing anddetails notifyfor theall new holderholders.

• name
• address
• email thataddress
• mobile phone number
• your company registration number if you are a UK company.

Once MMO receives the application hasfrom beenthe receivedcurrent holder, they will notify you by email and you will be processedable to check the licence/licence entitlement details. If everything is in order, they will aim to send your ‘Notification of Entitlement’ within 5 working days.

Becoming

You theshould holdernote that a Notification of Entitlement is NOT a valid fishing vessel licence.

Disaggregating a licence entitlement

TheIf you are the current holder and want to disaggregate your licence entitlement holderinto 2 or more parts, you will need to complete applicationApplication to Disaggregate a Fishing Vessel Licence Entitlement (AFL19).

If you are the current holder and want to transfer a disaggregated entitlement you will need to complete ‘EstablishmentEstablishment or transfer of an entitlement and transfer of a licence that is administered by Marine Management Organisation (AFL7)’(AFL7) to transfer the licence entitlement into your name. .

If you are wanting to transfer a licencedisaggregated entitlement to be transferred into your name,name and not split further, you do not need to complete thisthe AFL7 application but you will need to provide the current holder with the following details so they can tell us that they are surrendering the rights to their licence/licencedisaggregated entitlement to you.

The current holder will need the following details for all new holders.

• name
• address
• email address
• mobile phone number
• your company registration number if you are a UK company.

Once MarineMMO Managementreceives Organisation receive the application from the current holder, wethey will notify you by email and you will be able to check the licence/licencedisaggregated entitlement details. If everything is in order, wethey will aim to send your ‘Notification of Entitlement’ within 5 working days.

You should note that a Notification of Entitlement is NOT a valid fishing vessel licence.

Apply for your licence

SelectTo thisapply linkfor toa openfishing ourlicence applicationfor forma pageBritish registered fishing vessel, you will need to applycomplete Application for ana fishing licence for a British registered fishing vessel (AFL2).administered by MMO.

You may need to demonstrate an economic link between the vessel and the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man to make landings at certain ports within designated times. For more information, please contact your local MMO office.

Your vessel licence covers the UK EEZ. If you want access to non-UK waters, you should contact the the UK Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA)

Moves in and out of England

Entry into the English Non-sector  

With the introduction of the Fisheries Concordat in 2012 each of the four national UK Fisheries Administrations were given their own quota allocation for non-sector vessels. As quota is allocated according to the FQAsFixed Quota Allocation (FQA) units attached to the licences of vessels in the non-sector, the MMO needs to ensure that any new vessel entering the English non-sector brings in at least as many FQAs equivalent to the quota intended to fish.

If you intend joining the English non-sector you must complete a a Fish Plan Notification Notification form Commercial fishing vessel licence application forms to help ascertain if FQAs will be required based on the the UK and England quota management rules.

FQA moratorium 

There is a current embargo on the trading of FQA units to and from Scotland and the rest of the UK. Therefore, FQA units will need to be removed from a licence entitlement before the entitlement can move to or from Marine Scotland.

The ban on the movement of FQA units from Scotland to the rest of the UK has been in place since January 2014. The embargo on units transferring from the rest of the UK to Scotland has been in place since December 2016

Category changes when coming from Marine Scotland

On 01 July 2017 Marine Scotland created a single licence category for the over ten metre fleet in Scotland. However, category A, B or C licence entitlements transferring from Scotland will be received as a Category A, B or C as they were prior to 1 July 2017.

Scottish licences created through disaggregation or aggregation in Scotland after 30 June 2017 will be tracked back to the lowest common denominatorlevel of authorisation and received accordingly on transfer to England. For example, a licence aggregation between an ex-Category B and an ex-Category A licence in Scotland will be received in England as a Category B licence.

FQA moratorium 

There is a current embargo on the trading of FQA units to and from Scotland and the rest of the UK. Therefore FQA units will need to be removed from a licence entitlement before the entitlement can move to or from Marine Scotland.

The ban on the movement of FQA units from Scotland to the rest of the UK has been in place since January 2014. The embargo on units transferring from the rest of the UK to Scotland has been in place since December 2016

Request to change UK fisheries administration

Any vessel wishing to change administration within the UK should submit an an application to change UK fisheries administration to to its current administration for consideration.

The request to change a country of administration should take into account that fishing vessels will be administered from the territory that they predominantly fish out of, as set out in the Concordat criteria.

The completed form should be submitted to your local Marine Management Organisation (MMO) office for consideration. The form must be completed by the vessel owner(s) who wish to request the change of administration between England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Sole Recovery Zone, Cod Area 7d and Bassbass Authorisations.authorisations.

SRZ and CRZCod Area 7d

In order to carry and use regulated gears in the Sole Recovery Zone (SSZ)(SRZ) and area 7d, referred to as the Cod Area 7d, a vessel must have eligibility through a known track record or via the transfer of a single licence (or the aggregation of two or more licences)licence entitlements) where the originating vessel(s) has such a record of fishing activity with selective gears in these areas.

To check if a vessel or entitlement holds SRZ and/or CRZ eligibility please contact contact effort@marinemanagement.org.uk and and visit the following web pages for more information of the schemes’ rules:

•  Manage your fishing effort: Cod in ICES area 7d - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and and
• Sole Recovery Zone rules - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Where a donor licence carries with it eligibility to fish in the CRZ and/or the SRZ, provided the donor vessel will no longer be using that eligibility, such eligibility to fish in the CRZ and/or SRZ will transfer to all the vessels being licensed by the component elements.

Bass

If you want to catch and retain bass by gears other than demersal trawls and seines, you must have a written authorisation from the MMO to do so. Authorisations are being issued to vessels with a track record of landing bass during the reference period of 1 July 2015 to 30 September 2016.

Once you have been issued an authorisation you will be permitted to catch and retain bass with the gear types listed on your authorisation, subject to the specific limitations for each gear.

A Bassbass authorisation does not transfer ownership with a licence entitlement. The authority remains with the vessel. If you are replacing a vessel that has a bass authorisation, a transfer of authorisation will be considered but is subject to strict rules. It is the responsibility of any vessel owner to seek relevant approvals from the MMO prior to making a commitment to purchase a new fishing vessel, where they are wanting to transfer any existing authorisation.

Full details of the current Bass Fishing Guidance can be found at the following webpage: Bass Fishing Guidance 20232024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and queries relating to a Bassbass authorisation or transfer of an authorisation should be directed to to bass@marinemanagement.org.uk

Contact information

For further information on domestic fishing vessel licensing rules please contact the Fisheries Management Team.

MMO Helpline: 0300 123 1032

Email: Email: fishingvessellicensing@marinemanagement.org.uk