Licence

Seabed lease (England and Wales)

You need a seabed lease from The Crown Estate to operate a marine fish farm in coastal waters

Apply for this licence

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To operate a marine fish farm in coastal waters you need a seabed lease from The Crown Estate.

The Crown Estate owns virtually all the seabed around the UK out to 12 nautical miles (the territorial sea limit).

How to apply

Application forms are available from The Crown Estate and can be submitted either electronically or by post.

No fee is required to make an application for a seabed lease.

Applications should be accompanied by:

  • a scale plan of the area of seabed to be leased
  • any relevant consent references 
  • a brief outline of the business/production plan for the proposed site, including details of financial resources, strategy plan and decommissioning measures in the event of termination of the lease

It is recommended that you check on the availability of the proposed location before making an application.

The Crown Estate Enquiries
enquiries@thecrownestate.co.uk

As well as a seabed lease, you also require authorisation from the Fish Health Inspectorate in order to operate as a fish farm.