Fishing Vessel Licensing Forms
This is a list of all forms needed to apply for a fishing vessel licence, update a fishing vessel licence, establish/transfer a licence entitlement, disaggregate a licence entitlement, apply for a Thames Estuary & Blackwater Herring licence, request to change the country of administration of your vessel, and complete a fish plan if you wish to join the English non-sector. All forms are for vessels, licences, and licence entitlements administered by MMO only.
Forms
Complete an AFL2 if you want to apply to license a fishing vessel. This includes if you want to relicense a vessel following a change in technical details such as tonnage or engine power.
Main gear type list for AFL2: Application for a fishing licence for a fishing vessel administered by Marine Management Organisation
Complete an AFL3 if you want to update a fishing vessel licence. This includes changes to the vessel’s name, PLN or fishing gears, the vessel owner’s address and contact details, or the licence nominee’s details.
Complete an AFL7 if you want to establish an entitlement (remove the licence from a vessel) or transfer an entitlement to another party. You can also complete this form if you want to transfer a disaggregated component (Section F) to another party.
Complete an AFL19 if you want to disaggregate (split) a licence entitlement into two or more disaggregated components (Section Fs). This form will allow you to put each disaggregated component into your own or another holder’s name.
Complete an application to change a vessel’s UK Fisheries Administration if you are transferring a vessel in or out of England and need approval from MMO for the vessel to either leave or join MMO administration.
Use this form to apply for a licence to collect mussel seed if you are registered as a shellfish farmer
In line with the English Quota Management Rules, Marine Management Organisation (MMO) may require a vessel’s licence to include FQA units matching its planned fishing area and gear, or equivalent to previous English non-sector catch limits. Quota Managers will assess entry into the English non-sector using the information below, any supporting evidence, and the vessel’s historical landings.
To determine if FQA units are needed, complete the table with a monthly breakdown of target species (and alternatives), fishing area, gear, landing locations, and estimated landings.
Thames Estuary and Blackwater Herring is the herring stock in the maritime region of the Thames estuary. This quota may only be used by vessels participating in the fishery to allow fisheries based data collection for this stock as assessed by the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). This fishery may only be fished from 1 September to 31 January, or until the total allowable catch (TAC) is caught.
This fishery is not covered by catch recording and so a landing declaration must be submitted within 48 hours.
Register to use the Fish Hub electronic reporting system (ERS) to submit your fishing activity data online. This service allows vessel owners and operators to meet reporting requirements efficiently and stay compliant with fisheries regulations.
Contact information:
If you need any further help contact your local Marine Management Organisation office’.
If you need any further help with these forms of domestic fishing vessel licensing contact:
North: DomesticFVLNorth@marinemanagement.org.uk
(North Shields, Whitehaven, Isle of Man)
East: DomesticFVLEast@marinemanagement.org.uk
(Scarborough, Lowestoft, Beverley, Harwich)
South East: DomesticFVLSouthEast@marinemanagement.org.uk
(Hastings, Shoreham, Portsmouth)
South: DomesticFVLSouth@marinemanagement.org.uk
(Poole, Brixham)
South West: DomesticFVLSouthWest@marinemanagement.org.uk
(Plymouth)
West: DomesticFVLWest@marinemanagement.org.uk
(Newlyn)