Guidance

Fishing regulations: The Blue Book

The Blue Book is a single collection of UK and EU laws.

• From: Marine Management Organisation
• Published: 30 July 2025

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) tries to maintain The Blue Book with up-to-date legislation but cannot guarantee that it is up to date at all times. The legislation and documents may have been updated since the links above were published. The Blue Book does not contain comprehensive UK legislation applicable to Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish waters.

Legislation in the blue book is not currently available in consolidated versions. To check current wording, you will need to cross reference the legislation you are reviewing with any amendments made by other Statutory Instruments or Acts. If a piece of legislation is known to have been amended links have been included to the amending Statutory Instrument or Act.

Section AA: Statutory Instruments amending Retained EU legislation

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
AA1	The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019	SI 2019/739	SI 2019/1312 - Reg. 3 SI 2019/1312 - Reg. 8 SI 2020/1542 - Reg. 8 SI 2020/1542 - Reg. 11
AA2	The Fisheries (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019	SI 2019/746	SI 2020/1542 - Reg. 12 SI 2020/1599 - Reg. 2
AA3	Common Fisheries Policy and Aquaculture (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019	SI 2019/753	SI 2019/1312 - Reg. 4 SI 2019/1312 - Reg. 9 SI 2020/1463 - Reg. 4 SI 2020/1542 - Reg. 15 SI 2020/1599 - Reg. 3
AA4	The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2019	SI 2019/848	SI 2019/1312 - Reg. 10 SI 2020/1542 - Reg. 3 SI 2020/1542 - Reg. 16
AA5	Common Fisheries Policy and Animals (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019	SI 2019/1312	SI 2020/1542 - Reg. 4 ​​​​​​​SI 2020/1542 - Reg. 17
AA6	The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020	SI 2020/1542	NA
AA7	The Sea Fisheries (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2021	SI 2021/698	NA
AA8	The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020	SI 2020/1599	NA
AA9	The Sea Fisheries (Amendment etc.) (No. 2) Regulations 2021	SI 2021/1429	NA
AA10	The Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2023	SI 2023/273	NA

Section A: Principal acts relating to sea fishing

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
A1.10	The Fishery Limits Act 1976	A 1976/C86	A 1995/C21 - Schedule 13 (49) A 2009/C23 - Schedule 4 (2) A 2020/C22 - Schedule 4
A1.12	The Territorial Sea (Baselines) Order	SI 2014/1353	NA
A1.20	The Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967	A 1967/C84	A 1995/C21 - Schedule 13 (38) A 2009/C23 SI 2019/746 - Reg. 2 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 4
A1.30	The Sea Fisheries Act 1968	A 1968/C77	A 1995/C21 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 4
A1.40	The Fisheries Act 1981	A 1981/C29	SI 2019/746 - Reg. 3 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 4
A1.41	The Sea Fishing (Enforcement and Miscellaneous Provisions) Order 2015	SI 2015/191	SI 2019/746 - Reg. 12
A1.42	The Sea Fishing (Enforcement) Regulations 2018	SI 2018/849	SI 2019/746 - Reg. 14 SI 2019/526 - Reg. 22 SI 2020/516 - Reg. 2
A1.42a	The Sea Fishing (Enforcement) (Amendment) Regulations 2020	SI 2020/516	NA
A1.43	The Sea Fishing (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2018	SI 2018/643	NA
A1.44	The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Miscellaneous Amendments and Revocations)	SI 2018/942	NA
A1.50	The Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967	A 1967/C83	A 1997/C3 - Reg. 1 A 2009/C23 SI 2017/1012 - Schedule 6 (2)
A1.50a	The Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) (Amendment) Act 1997	A 1997/C3	NA
A1.60	The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009	A 2009/C23	A 2017/1012 A 2017/1013 SI 2018/942 - Reg. 6 SI 2018/1399 - Reg. 2 SI 2019/746 - Reg. 4 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 4 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 10
AI.70	Exclusive Economic Zone Order	SI 2013/3161	NA
A1.80	Fisheries Act 2020	A 2020/C22	NA
A1.90	The Merchant Shipping Act 1995	A 1995/C21	NA

Section B: Access to British fishery limits

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
B2.10	Common Fisheries Policy	EU 2013_1380	SI 2019/739 - Reg. 3 SI 2019/753 - Reg. 26 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 11

Section C: Legislation applicable in Welsh and Northern Irish zones

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
C3.01	The Welsh Zone (Boundaries and Transfer of Functions) Order 2010	SI 2010_760	NA
C3.02	The Adjacent Waters Boundaries (Northern Ireland) Order 2002	SI 2002_791	SI 2020/1273 - Art 2
C3.10	The Prohibition of Fishing with Multiple Trawls (Wales) Order 2003	SI 2003_1855	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2 WSI 2019/1332 - Reg 2  WSI 2019/463 - Reg 28
C3.15	The Sea Fish (Specified Sea Area) (Prohibition of Fishing Method) (Wales) Order 2012	SI 2012_2571	NA
C3.20	The Scallop Fishing (Wales) (No 2) Order 2010	SI 2010_269	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2 WSI 2019/1332 Reg 3
C3.21	The Scallop Dredging Operations (Tracking devices) (Wales) Order 2012	SI 2012_2729	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2
C3.25	The Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) (Wales) Order 2008	SI 2008_1438	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2​​​​​​​ WSI 2018/1095 - Art 3
C3.26	The Specified Crustaceans (Prohibition on Fishing, Landing, Sale and Carriage) (Wales) Order 2015	SI 2015_2076	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2
C3.30	The Conservation of Scallops Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008	SI 2008_430	A 2020/C22 -  Schedule 2
C3.40	The Unlicensed Fishing for Crabs and Lobsters Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008	SI 2008_185	NA
C3.50	The Crabs and Lobsters (Minimum Size) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000	SI 2000_200	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2 SI 2018/185 - Schedule 1
C3.60	The Sea Fishing (Penalty Notices) (Wales) Order 2019	SI 2019_363	WSI 2019/602 - Art 1 WSI 2021/368 - Art 2
C3.61	The Sea Fishing (Penalty Notices) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2019	SI 2019_602	NA
C3.62	The Sea Fishing Operations  (Monitoring Devices) (Wales) Order 2022	SI 2022 No. 70 (W. 26)	NA

Section D: Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) legislation

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
D4.10	IUU Regulation	EC 2008_1005	SI 2019/739 - Reg 9 SI 2019/753 - Reg 28 SI 2019/753 - Reg 41
D4.10A	List of IUU vessels	EU 2010_468	SI 2019/739 - Reg 10
D4.10AA	2020 List of IUU vessels amending (EU) 468_2010)	EU 2020_269
D4.10B	IUU list of non-cooperating third countries	EU 2014_170	SI 2019/739 - Reg 11
D4.11	IUU Detailed Rules	EC 2009_1010	SI 2019/739 - Reg 12
D4.30	The Sea Fishing (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing) Order 2009	SI 2009_3391	SI 2018/643 - Reg 3 - 7 SI 2019/746 - Reg 9
D4.40	Measures for conservation of fish stocks in relation to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing	EU 2012_1026	SI 2019/739 - Reg 13 SI 2019/753 - Reg 29
D4.41	The Sea Fisheries (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024	SI 2024_665	NA

Section E: Technical measures for the conservation of fisheries resources ‎

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
E5.05	Technical Conservation Measures (2019)	EU 2019_1241	SI 2019/1312 - Reg 5 Act 2020/C22 - Schedule 11 SI 2023/1054 - Reg 2 SI 2024/1028 - Reg 2
​​​​​​​E5.05C	Irish Sea Technical Conservation Measures Chartlet		NA
E5.07	North Sea Pelagic Discard Plan	EU 2014_1395	SI 2019/848 - Reg 4 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 11 SI 2024/231 - Art 5 SI 2025/92 - Art 3
E5.07A	North Sea Demersal Discard Plan 2020-2021	EU 2019_2238	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 11 ​​​​​​​SI 2020/1542 - Reg 5 ​​​​​​​​​SI 2021/1429 - Reg 8 SI 2024/231 - Art 6 SI 2025/92 - Art 4
E5.08	North Western Waters Pelagic Discard Plan	EU 2014_1393	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 11 SI 2021/1429 - Reg SI 2024/231 - Art 4 SI 2025/92 - Art 2
E5.08A	North-Western waters Demersal Discard Plan 2020-2021	EU 2019_2239	SI 2020/1542 - Reg 6 SI 2021/698 - Reg 3 SI 2021/1429 - Reg 9 SI 2024/231 - Art 7
E5.11	Measurement of fishing nets	EC 2008_517	SI 2019/753 - Reg 12
E5.12	Permitted net attachments	EC 1984_3440	SI 2019/753 - Reg 16
E5.13	Small mesh net sampling rules	EC 1987_954	SI 2019/739 - Reg 35
E5.16	Regulation on Acoustic Deterrent Devices (pingers)	EU 2020_967	NA
E5.22	Shark finning regulation	EU 2003_1185	NA
E5.25	Hake recovery technical measures	EC 2002_494	SI 2019/753 - Reg 17
E5.30	The Undersized Edible Crabs Order 2000	SI 2000_2029	A 2020/C22 -  Schedule 2, Art 5
E5.31	The Undersized Velvet Crabs Order 1989	SI 1989_919	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2, Art 2
E5.42	The Undersized Spider Crabs Order 2000	SI 2000_1502	NA
E5.45	The Lobsters and Crawfish (Prohibition of Fishing and Landing) Order 2000	SI 2000_874	Fisheries Act 2020 Schedule 2, Art. 4 SI 2017/899 - Art 2
E5.46	The Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 2008	SI 2008_691	SI 2015/191 - Reg 6 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2, Art 13
E5.47	The Scallops (Irish Sea) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1984	SI 1984_1523	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2, Art1
E5.48	The Shrimp Fishing Nets Order 2002	SI 2002_2870	SI 2018/942 - Reg 50 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2, Art 8
E5.49	The Prohibition of Fishing with Multiple Trawls Order 2003	SI 2003_1559	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2, Art10
E5.50	Sea Fish (Specified Sea Areas) (Regulation of Nets and Other Fishing Gear) Order 2001	SI 2001_649	SI 2018/942 - Art 49 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2, Art 6 SI 2003/1560
E5.51	The Sea Fish (Specified Sea Areas) (Regulation of Nets and Other Fishing Gear) Order 1991	SI 1991_1380	NA
E5.52	Sea Fish (Specified Sea Area) (Regulation of Nets and Prohibition of Fishing Methods) Order 1989	SI 1989_1284	NA
E5.53	The Bass (Specified Areas) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1990	SI 1990_1156	NA
E5.56	The Razor Shell, Trough Shells and Carpet Shells (Specified Sea Area) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1998	SI 1998_1276	NA
E5.70	The Scallop Fishing (England) Order 2012	SI 2012_2283	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2, Art 18
E5.80	The South-west Territorial Waters (Prohibition of Pair Trawling) Order 2004	SI 2004_3397	SI 2005/49 - Art 2 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 2, Art 12
E5.90	Salmon and Trout Prohibition of Fishing and Landing Order	SI 2015_441	NA

Section F: Total allowable catch (TAC) and quota regulations

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
F6.10	TAC & Quota Regs 2020	EU 2020_123	SI 2020/1542 -Art 7 SI 2021/698 - Para 2 SI 2021/1429 - Para 10 SI 2023/273 - Art 2 SI 2024/1028 - Reg 3
F6.11	EU TAC and Quota Reg 2023 *Uploaded for reference to quota tables in Annexes ONLY. 2020/123 remains the TAC and Quota regulations in force within UK waters	EU 2023/194	NA

Section G: Deep Water and highly migratory species regulations

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
G7.10	Deep Sea Species Regulations	EU 2016_2336	SI 2019/739 - Reg 27 SI 2019/753 - Reg 37 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 11
G7.12	Deep sea TAC and Quota 2019 - 2020	EU 2018_2025	SI 2019/848 - Reg 5 SI 2020/1542 - Reg 16
G7.20a	International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) regulation	EU 2017_2107	SI 2019/753 - Reg 7
G7.20	Highly Migratory Species (Tuna) Technical measures	EC 2007_520	SI 2019/753 - Reg 15
G7.21	Tuna derogations from Landing Obligation	EU 2015_98	SI 2019/753 - Reg 10
G7.21A	Amendment to Tuna LO derogations including NAFO requirements	EU 2017_1352	NA
G7.24	Highly Migratory Species (Tuna) Control measures	EC 2001_1936	SI 2019/739 - Reg 6
G7.30	Bluefin Tuna Recovery Plan	EU 2016_1627	SI 2019/753 - Reg 8 (EU) 2019/833 Art 53 SI 2024/439 Reg 6 SI 2024/655 Reg 2
G7.40	Blue Fin Tuna Specific Control and Inspection Programme (SCIP)	EU 2014_156	NA
G7.40A	Amendment to BFT SCIP	EU 2018_17	NA
G7.50	Blue Fin Tuna catch documentation	EU 2010_640	SI 2019/753 - Reg 9
G7.60	Big Eye Tuna and Swordfish Statistical Trade Certificates	EC 2003_1984	SI 2019/753 - Reg 13

Section H: Control measures

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
H8.02	Union Fishing Fleet Register	EU 2017_218	SI 2019/739 - Reg 33
H8.05	Defining Characteristics of fishing vessels	EU 2017_1130	SI 2019/739 - Reg 32 SI 2019/753 - Reg 40
H8.07	Implementing regulation for the characteristics of fishing vessels	CD 1995_84	SI 2019/739 - Reg 34
H8.10	Control Regulation	EC 2009_1224	SI 2019/739 - Reg 4 SI 2019/753 - Reg 27
H8.10A	Approved sampling plans for weighing	EU 2012_474	NA
H8.10B	List of Union Inspectors	EU 2017_902	NA
H8.11	Control regulation detailed rules	EU 2011_404	SI 2019/739 - Reg 5
H8.15	Western Waters and North Sea SCIP for demersal and pelagic species	EU 2018_1986	NA
H8.16	North Sea real time closures	EU 2010_724	SI 2019/739 - Reg 7
H8.23	Registered Buyers and Sellers Regulation	SI 2005_1605	SI 2015/191 - Art 4
H8.24	The Fish Labelling Regulations	SI 2013_1768	SI 2019/746 - Reg 10
H8.25	The Sea Fishing (Points for Masters of Fishing Vessels)	SI 2014_3345	SI 2018/643 - Reg 10/11 SI 2019/746 - Reg 11​​​​​​​
H8.70	Multiannual Plan for North Sea Demersal Stocks	EU 2018_973	SI 2019/753 - Reg 25 SI 2019/1312 - Reg 7 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 11
H8.71	CRZ effort regime – excluded vessels group	EU 2009_754	NA
H8.72	Cod Recovery Plan detailed rules	EU 2010_237	NA
H8.80	Multiannual plan for Western Waters Demersal stocks	EU 2019_472	SI 2019/1312 - Reg 6 SI 2020/1542 - Reg 17​​​​​​​ A 2020/C22 - Schedule 11
H8.90	Western waters effort and biologically sensitive area	EU 2003_1954	SI 2019/753 - Reg 31
H8.92	NEAFC scheme of control and enforcement	EU 2010_1236	SI 2019/753 - Reg 5
H8.93	NEAFC control and Enforcement Detailed Rules	EU 2012_433	SI 2019/753 - Reg 6
H8.94	NAFO Conservation and Enforcement measures	EU 2019_833	NA
H8.95	The Sea Fishing (Penalty Notices) (England) Order 2011	SI 2011_758	SI 2020/1635 - Art 2
H8.97	Common marketing standards (size, weight) for certain fishery products	EC 1996_2406	SI 2019/753 ​​​​​​​SI 2019/739 - Reg 20​​​​​​​

Section I: Licensing regulations

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
I9.10	The Sea Fish Licensing Order 1992	SI 1992_2633	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 4
I9.40	The Receiving of Trans-shipped Sea Fish (Licensing) Order 1982	SI 1982_80	SI 1983/1139
I9.50	The Sea Fishing (Licences and Notices) (England) Regulations 2012	SI 2012_827	SI 2019/523 - Reg 5 A 2020/C22 - Schedule 4

Section J: Marine environmental protection and habitats regulations

Ref	Title (links to legislation.gov.uk)	Year/Number	Amended by
J10.10	The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017	SI 2017_1012	SI 2018/1307 - Reg 2 SI 2019/579 ​​​​​
J10.20	Protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems from bottom towed gear	EC 2008_734	SI 2019/739 - Reg 26
J10.50	Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017	SI 2017_1013	SI 2019/579
J10.60	The Lyme Bay Designated Area (Fishing Restrictions) Order 2008	SI 2008_1584	SI 2009/1675
J10.70	The Fal and Helford Designated Area (Fishing Restrictions) Order 2008	SI 2008_2360
J10.80	The Solent European Marine Site (Prohibition of method of Dredging) Order 2004	SI 2004_2696
J10.90	Haisborough Hammond and Winterton MMO Byelaw
J10.91	Land’s End and Cape Bank MMO Byelaw
J10.92	Start Point to Plymouth Sound and Eddystone MMO Byelaw
J10.93	Inner Dowsing and Race Bank MMO Byelaw
J10.94	Conservation of Seals Act 1970	A 1970_C30	A 2020/C22 - Schedule 9
J10.95	The West of Walney Marine Conservation Zone (Specified Area) Bottom Towed Fishing Byelaw 2018
J10.96	The Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation (Specified Area) Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw 2022
J10.97	The Margate and Long Sands European Marine Site (Specified Areas) Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw; 2017
J10.98	The South Dorset Marine Conservation Zone (Specified Area) Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw 2022
J10.99	The Canyons Marine Conservation Zone (Specified Area) Prohibited Fishing Gears Byelaw 2022
J10.100	Marine Protected Areas Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw 2023
J10.101	Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981	A 1981_C69

Section K: UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement

Ref	Title Links to gov.uk)	Year / Number	Notes
K1	Fish pages and annexes from the UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement	Not currently available
K2	UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement summary	2021	Fisheries are covered under HEADING FIVE of the TCA

Section L: Miscellaneous

Ref	Title Links to gov.uk)	Year / Number	Notes
L1	The Fisheries Act 2020 (Scheme for Financial Assistance) (England) Regulations 2021.	SI 2021_908

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Published 30 July 2025