Statutory guidance

Variation issued: Thursday 01 January 2026

Updated 29 December 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fishing-vessel-licence-variations/variation-issued-thursday-01-january-2025

1. The variation effective from 00:01hrs Thursday 01 January 2026 is as follows:          

1.1 Over 10m Non-Sector Quota Increase

  • Affecting licence categories A (11), A (Islands) (12), B (31), and C (41)
SPECIES SEA AREA (AS STATED IN ANNEXE) QUOTA FROM (TONNES) QUOTA SET TO (TONNES)
Megrim 2a, 4 0.1 (monthly) 0.5 (monthly)
Nephrops 2a, 4 30 (quarterly) 50 (quarterly)
Nephrops 5b, 6 5 (quarterly) 7 (quarterly)
Saithe 2a, 3a, 4 0.5 (monthly) 1 (monthly)
Sole 7d 2 (monthly) 2.5 (monthly)
Sole 7f-g 0.3 (monthly) 0.5 (monthly)
Turbot and Brill 2a, 4 0.5 (monthly) 1 (monthly)

1.2 Over 10m Non-Sector Quota – stock no longer bycatch only

  • Affecting licence categories A (11), A (Islands) (12), B (31), and C (41)
SPECIES SEA AREA (AS STATED IN ANNEXE) QUOTA FROM (TONNES) (MONTHLY) QUOTA SET TO (TONNES) (MONTHLY)
Pollack 7 0.2 (BYCATCH ONLY) 0.2

1.3 Over 10m Non-Sector Quota Decrease

  • Affecting licence categories A (11), A (Islands) (12), B (31), and C (41)
SPECIES SEA AREA (AS STATED IN ANNEXE) QUOTA FROM (TONNES) QUOTA SET TO (TONNES)
Cod 7d 1 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY) 0.5 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY)
Cod 7b-k (excluding 7d) 0.3 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY) 0.1 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY)
Cod 2a, 3a, 4 6 (monthly) 3 (monthly)
Hake 5b, 6, 7, 12, 14 10 (monthly) 8 (monthly)
Mackerel 2a, 3a, 3bcd, 4 1.5 (monthly) 1 (monthly)
Mackerel 5b, 6, 7, 8abde, International Waters 2a, 12, 14 10 (monthly) 3 (monthly)
Megrim 7 5 (monthly) 3 (monthly)
Nephrops 7 20 (quarterly) 15 (quarterly)
Plaice 7a 3 (monthly) 1 (monthly)
Skates and Rays 6 & 7 (excluding 7d) 20 (monthly) 10 (monthly)
Sole 7e 2 (monthly) 1.25 (monthly)
Whiting 7bce-k 1 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY) 0.75 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY)

1.4 Over 10m Non-Sector Quota – Stock now bycatch only

  • Affecting licence categories A (11), A (Islands) (12), B (31), and C (41)
SPECIES SEA AREA (AS STATED IN ANNEXE) QUOTA FROM (TONNES) (MONTHLY) QUOTA SET TO (TONNES) (MONTHLY)
Haddock 7b-k, 8, 9, 10 2 0.5 (BYCATCH ONLY)

1.5 10m & Under Non-Sector Quota – Stock no longer bycatch only

  • Affecting licence category A (91)
SPECIES SEA AREA (AS STATED IN ANNEXE) QUOTA FROM (TONNES) (MONTHLY) QUOTA SET TO (TONNES) (MONTHLY)
Pollack 7 0.2 (BYCATCH ONLY) 0.2

1.6 10m & Under Non-Sector Quota Decrease

  • Affecting licence category A (91)
SPECIES SEA AREA (AS STATED IN ANNEXE) QUOTA FROM (TONNES) QUOTA SET TO (TONNES)
Cod 7d 1 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY) 0.5 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY)
Cod 7b-k (excluding 7d) 0.3 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY) 0.1 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY)
Cod 2a, 3a, 4 4 (monthly) 2 (monthly)
Herring 7e-f 5 (monthly) 2 (monthly)
Lemons and Witches 2a, 4 3 (monthly) 2 (monthly)
Ling 4 0.2 (monthly) 0.1 (monthly)
Ling 6, 7, 8 2 (monthly) 1.5 (monthly)
Mackerel 2a, 3a, 3bcd, 4 5 (monthly) 1.5 (monthly)
Mackerel 5b, 6, 7, 8abde, International Waters 2a, 12, 14 10 (monthly) 3 (monthly)
Megrim 7 5 (monthly) 3.5 (monthly)
Plaice 7a 8 (monthly) 4 (monthly)
Plaice 7e 5 (monthly) 4 (monthly)
Saithe 7, 8 2 (monthly) 0.5 (monthly)
Sole 7e 2.8 (monthly) 1.5 (monthly)
Whiting 7bce-k 1.5 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY) 1 (monthly) (BYCATCH ONLY)

1.7 10m & Under Non-Sector Quota – Stock now bycatch only

  • Affecting licence category A (91)
SPECIES SEA AREA (AS STATED IN ANNEXE) QUOTA FROM (TONNES) (MONTHLY) QUOTA SET TO (TONNES) (MONTHLY)
Haddock 7b-k, 8, 9, 10 2 0.5 (BYCATCH ONLY)

1.8 New Fisheries for both Over 10m and 10m & Under Non-Sector and Sector

SPECIES SEA AREA (AS STATED IN ANNEXE) QUOTA FROM (TONNES) QUOTA SET TO (TONNES)
Shagreen Ray 6, 7 (excluding 7d) N/A 1 (monthly)
Shagreen Ray 7d NA CLOSED
Sandy Ray 6, 7, (excluding 7d) NA CLOSED
Sandy Ray 7d NA CLOSED
Small-Eyed Ray 7d NA CLOSED
Cod 4bc NA 1

1.9 Western Waters Scallop Effort days set for Q1

  • Affecting Licence Schedules for Category A (11), Category A Islands (12), Category A Pelagic (17), Category B (31) and Category C (41)

Western Water scallop days at sea now set to 85 days for Q1 (00:01 hrs 01 January – 23:59 31 March 2026)

1.10 Western Waters Crab Effort days set

  • Affecting Licence Schedules for Category A (11), Category A Islands (12), Category A Pelagic (17), Category B (31) and Category C (41)

Western Water Crab days at sea now set to 120 days (00:01 hrs 01 January – 23:59 31 December 2026)

1.11 Changes to bass landings limits

  • Affecting Licence Schedules for Category A (11), Category A Islands (12), Category A Pelagic (17), Category B (31) and Category C (41)
  1. The commercial trawl/seine bycatch limits will be amended to 10.0 tonnes per vessel per year, but the bass per trip limit will increase from 10% to 20% to help reduce discarding;
  2. The hooks and lines catch limits will be amended from 6.8 to 8.0 tonnes per vessel per year;
  3. The fixed gillnet bycatch limits will be amended from 1.8 to 5.4 tonnes per vessel per year.

It is your responsibility to check variations before going to sea as they can be changed at any time.          

If you have any queries, please contact the Fisheries Management Team.

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