Quota application mechanism rules and how to apply for 2026 English fishing quota
Find out how to apply for 2026 English fishing quota using the quota application mechanism (QAM) and the rules you’ll need to meet.
Applies to England
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Defra have been trialling QAM since 2024. As QAM continues to develop, this guidance will be updated to reflect any changes.
The application questions and assessment criteria have been designed to support the maximisation of benefits for the English fleet and work towards better sustainability outcomes.
Who can apply
To apply for fishing quota, using the QAM, you must either be:
- a producer organisation (PO) that is submitting an application on behalf of your members (multi-PO applications will be rejected) and contain only vessels registered in England with a commercial fishing licence
- an English non-sectoral over-10-metre vessel - this includes over 10 metre Crown Dependency vessels (you can also submit a joint application with other non-sectoral over-10-metre vessels)
You must also:
- make sure no master or owner in your application has been found guilty of any fisheries offences in the last 3 years, which resulted in an official written warning (OWW), financial administrative penalty (FAP) or finding of guilt by a court
- score at least 6 points under the section ‘What gears and modifications will you use when fishing this quota’, in the application form
- agree to only catch and land the quota - trading the allocation will not be permitted
- agree to be contacted and share information and scheme-relevant data
Aims and principles of QAM
QAM aims to promote sustainable, socially responsible and economically resilient fisheries by:
- allocating quota to applicants who demonstrate strong outcomes
- ensuring high utilisation
- ensuring unused quota is returned in time for reallocation
The governance principles are:
transparency - we will publish all criteria, scoring thresholds, timelines and outcomes, so applicants know how decisions are made
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proportionality - any penalties or decisions will be proportionate, taking into account the scale of the issue, the circumstances and the applicant’s previous record
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predictability - applicants can expect a consistent process with clearly defined rules (changes will only be made through formal updates, not ad‑hoc decisions)
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non-discrimination - all applications will be assessed against the same objective criteria to ensure fair and consistent treatment for every applicant
How QAM works
The following steps describe what happens when you apply for QAM.
- Submit a QAM application with a vessel list, benefit case and evidence plan by the set deadline.
- Your application will be checked and validated for eligibility (compliance gate).
- If your application is eligible, it will be scored against the environmental, social and economic criteria set out in the application form.
- Applications are ranked by score. An allocation matrix proportionately allocates quota across applicants.
- During the year, we will monitor utilisation and returns and assess evidence against claims.
- Underutilisation is the percentage of allocated quota not used and not returned by the return deadline (the date by which unused quota must be returned for reallocation). If your quota is underutilised, it will trigger proportionate penalties or warnings for future years. If this applies to you, you can appeal by emailing quota@defra.gov.uk.
- Failure to fulfil or evidence stated benefits or actions will trigger proportionate penalties or warnings for future years. You can follow the appeals route if this applies to you.
Important dates
The estimated timelines for QAM for 2026 are as follows:
- applications open – 6 October 2025
- applications close – 31 October 2025
- confirmation of ineligible vessel – by 23 December 2025
- allocation of estimated tonnages with % cap for the first quarter of the calendar year (Q1) – by 30 January 2026
- QAM allocation completed – by 31 March 2026
- underutilisation deadline for return of quota – 31 September 2026
- end of fishing year – 31 December 2026
- final submission deadline for QAM quota – 12 January 2027
We will communicate any changes to these timelines to applicants.
Before you apply
You’ll need to decide on your benefit commitments before you complete an application.
Benefit commitments are grouped into 3 categories:
- environmental measures – for example, selective gear use, additional monitoring, scientific schemes
- social benefits – for example, crew development, training, community engagement.
- economic benefits – for example, UK landings or sales, supporting local supply chains
During assessment, each category may attract different degrees of scrutiny depending on the nature of the claim.
How to apply
You can apply online or submit an application form by email or post.
Make sure:
- you follow the instructions in the application
- you answer all questions
- you tick all relevant boxes
- the authorised signatory has signed the declaration to confirm the information provided is accurate and accept the QAM terms and conditions
Your fishing plans: scoring
In your application, your responses in ‘Your fishing plans’ section will be scored.
Eligible applications are scored and ranked using a scoring matrix to provide consistency, fairness and transparency.
An advisory panel, made up of members from Cefas, MMO and Defra, will moderate the scores.
Environmental factors
In ‘Your fishing plans’ section, you will be asked what gears and modifications you will use.
You must choose all options that apply to you. Use Annex A: Gear scoring grid to help you, if needed. If you’ve not yet purchased gears, state your intentions and provide additional evidence at a later point.
Gears have been grouped and ranked on their selectivity. Your score is calculated in proportion to how much quota each gear you list will fish. The total available score is 10 points.
You will also be asked, beyond the minimum legal requirements, what additional monitoring you will implement. You must tick all options that apply to you.
Each option you tick can score between 1 to 4 points:
- remote electronic monitoring systems will score 4 points
- bycatch monitoring programme will score 3 points
- Clean Catch UK will score 2 points
- each additional monitoring system will be awarded 1 point
You can evidence planned contributions you’ve not yet made with written text.
Three blank options are provided for you to enter any ‘other’ additional measures not included within previous tick boxes.
The total available score is 10 points.
You will be asked what environmental contributions you will make in 2026. You must tick all options that apply to you. Each option you tick can score 1 point. You can evidence planned contributions you’ve not yet made with written text.
Three blank options are provided for you to enter any ‘other’ additional measure not included within previous tick boxes.
The total available score is 7 points.
Social and economic factors
You will be asked how you will provide social and economic benefits to coastal communities.
You must tick all options that apply to you. You can evidence planned contributions you’ve not yet made with written text.
Each option you tick can score 1 point, with the exception of those involving UK crew, sales and landings, where a scale of 0-3 points is available.
Three blank options are provided for the you to enter any ‘other’ additional measure not included within previous tick boxes.
The total available score is 25 points.
Requirements you will need to meet
If your application is successful, you must meet the following QAM obligations and requirements.
Obligations
You must:
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use the correct gear types, according to the regulations and application commitments
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comply with the commitments you made in the application to ensure all benefits are met
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not trade or swap this quota
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return unused quota by the published return deadline to enable quota to be reallocated
Reporting requirements
If your QAM application is successful, you will receive an MMO QAM landings form by email.
You must complete and submit a form for each landing of QAM quota, once a month, if applicable. You can use one form for up to 20 landings.
Make sure you:
- follow the instructions on the QAM landings form *only submit QAM forms for genuine landings
- only submit QAM forms for the vessels that have been allocated the quota (landings prior to the allocation of QAM quota cannot be registered as QAM landings)
- do not submit duplicate QAM forms
- follow all existing quota management measures, such as relevant ‘of which’ special conditions
- consent to data processing for verification and audit, in line with data protection law
How quota is allocated
The allocation matrix uses the combination of your score and maximum viable tonnage to distribute quota proportionately.
Quota indicated for the non-sector is allocated to non-sectoral applicants where possible. If there is tonnage remaining, this goes back into the total QAM pot of total tonnage available.
Quota is allocated as close as possible to the amount you apply for. If your minimum viable tonnage can’t be met, we offer as close as possible, with the minimum decided at 60% of the minimum viable tonnage.
Next, if there is any remaining tonnage available, this is redistributed to the applicants following the same process. The exceptions are those applicants who’ve been awarded their maximum viable tonnage and those who have not been awarded at least 60% of their minimum viable tonnage.
In the case of an application containing non-compliant and compliant vessels, the non-compliant vessel or vessels will be removed from the application. The tonnage applied for and the percentage split between each of the vessels within an application will be adjusted to take this into account. For example, where 25% of the quota applied for is on behalf of non-compliant vessels, 25% of the tonnage applied for will be subtracted prior to calculating allocations.
When quota will be allocated
The date QAM quota will be allocated depends on various factors, including the conclusion of coastal state negotiations and the development of estimated tonnages from the MMO.
There is no fixed date by when initial tonnages will be made available, but they will be done as quickly as possible.
Where a stock has associated special conditions (as set out in the Secretary of State Determination), and where they are allocated, these will be available to successful applicants alongside the allocation of the parent stock.
Underutilised quota: penalties, exemptions and appeals
From 2026 onwards, the utilisation of allocated QAM quota will be taken into account when scoring future applications. Failure to land quota will result in penalties being attached to applications in the following year.
Return deadline
Unused or unwanted quota must be formally returned by the return deadline to enable reallocation. Failure to return quota, that is not landed in the final 3 months of the fishing year by the deadline counts as underutilised quota at the end of the fishing year. The deadline for returning quota in 2026 is 31 September 2026.
In previous years, quota has been allowed to be transferred between vessels within the same QAM group, where one vessel has encountered an issue in landing their full allocation. From 2026, this will only be allowed where it is being transferred to a vessel that has the same, or higher scoring, gear.
The final decision on whether quota can be transferred within a group will be taken on a case-by-case basis and will be at the discretion of the advisory panel. Unused or unwanted quota will be returned to the MMO or Defra and may be redistributed to QAM applicants.
Responsibility attribution (vessels moving between POs)
Penalties follow the party with quota management responsibility during the period of underutilisation (operational control).
Where a different group, individual or PO (administrative lead) submitted the application, an administrative written warning may be issued to the lead applicant for oversight lapses.
If vessels transfer, historical underutilisation does not penalise the new manager unless underutilisation repeats under their control.
Penalty bands for underutilisation
Table 1 shows the penalties that will apply to the different levels of underutilisation. This will be integrated into scoring from 2027.
| Underutilisation band | Points deduction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ≤10% | 0 | No action taken |
| >10–20% | 0 | Advisory only |
| >20%–30% | −5 | Minor shortfall |
| >30–50% | −10 | Moderate shortfall |
| >50%–90% | −20 | Significant underutilisation |
| >90% | Ineligible for next QAM round | Severe underutilisation |
Persistent significant underutilisation (>50% for 3 cycles) will trigger temporary ineligibility for the following year.
Overfishing
When overfishing occurs, the landings above the QAM allocation will be placed against the applicant’s non-QAM allocation. Where there is not sufficient non-QAM quota to cover an overfish, the rules and penalties set out in the UK quota management rules (QMR) will be applied.
Exemptions and appeals
Exemption claims must include logs, repair invoices, or official notices, as applicable.
The QAM advisory panel will consider proportionality, evidence quality, and consistency with precedent.
Inter-annual flexibility
Inter-annual flexibility is a mechanism formed of two parts; banking and borrowing.
Banking
Banking is transferring uncaught amounts of fish quota from the current year to be caught in the next year.
QAM quota is eligible for banking in relation to eligible stocks. Any unused quota at the end of the fishing year that is eligible for banking will be banked in line with the rules set out in the UK QMR. The quota will be returned the following year to the QAM line and not the applicant that had underfished the quota in the previous year.
Borrowing
Borrowing is using quota from next year in the current year. Banking enables up to 10% of its final quota or its remaining uncaught quota, whichever is the lesser amount. In terms of borrowing, groups may exceed their adapted (end-year) quota by 10% for eligible stocks.
Borrowing quota from future years is not permitted against QAM quota.
Evidence, evaluation and assurance
Evidence you submit will be classified and matched against the benefits claimed. The QAM advisory panel will adjudicate cases where necessary.
Strong evidence includes primary documents (invoices, certificates, payroll) dated within the claim period.
Make sure your photos show the vessel ID and equipment. If your phone or camera adds information such as when or where the photo was taken, you should include it.
Evidence to substantiate all claimed benefits must be submitted by 31 September. We cannot accept any evidence we receive after this date as it will be deemed outstanding and assessed as non-delivery. Also, the applicable penalty will be applied to the applicant’s score in the subsequent QAM round.
If you know you cannot meet this deadline for any reason, email quota@defra.gov.uk before the deadline.
Penalties for non-delivery of promised benefits
Applicants may commit to environmental, social or economic benefits as part of their QAM application. These commitments influence scoring and therefore affect the proportional allocation of quota. To maintain fairness, transparency and accountability, a structured penalty regime applies where applicants fail to deliver the benefits they have promised.
This section sets out the principles, process and penalty bands for non-delivery.
What counts as non-delivery
Non-delivery means that an applicant has:
- failed to implement a benefit commitment, in whole or in part
- implemented commitments later or at a reduced level than stated in the application
- provided evidence that does not substantiate the claimed activity
- failed to provide required evidence at year-end, or submitted unverifiable or inconsistent evidence
Each commitment is assessed individually, but penalties consider both the overall pattern and severity of non-delivery.
Principles of assessment
Cases will be assessed using the following principles:
- proportionality – minor deviations attract warnings (repeated or significant failures attract higher penalties)
- intent – deliberate misrepresentation results in escalated penalties
- verification – evidence is assessed by Defra (with the QAM advisory panel to review more complex cases), supported by MMO compliance and data checks
- consistency – similar cases will be treated alike across the fleet
Penalty bands for levels of non-delivery
Penalty points are applied to the following year’s QAM score. These deductions operate independently of underutilisation penalties.
Table 2 shows penalty bands for failure to deliver promised benefits:
| Level of non-delivery | Description | Points deduction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 0 – fully delivered | All commitments met with satisfactory evidence | 0 | No data |
| Level 1 – minor deviation | Commitment partially met (≥75% delivered) with clear explanation | 0 | Written advisory note issued |
| Level 2 – moderate shortfall | 50–75% delivered or evidence incomplete | −5 | May require improvement plan |
| Level 3 – significant non-delivery | Less than 50% delivered; limited or no evidence | −10 | High risk applicant status for next QAM cycle – may be required to provide evidence up front for future years |
| Level 4 – serious and deliberate non-delivery | Commitment knowingly misrepresented; evidence falsified or commitments ignored | −20 and possible temporary ineligibility | Subject to investigation |
Escalation for repeated non-delivery
Where an applicant demonstrates repeated non-delivery across multiple years:
- two consecutive years at Level 3 means an automatic review and potential temporary ineligibility
- any instance of Level 4 may trigger exclusion for one QAM cycle pending further investigation
- non-delivery across multiple categories (environmental, social and economic) means combined penalties may apply
Interaction with other QAM penalties
Penalties for benefit non‑delivery apply in addition to:
- underutilisation penalties (explained in the ‘Underutilised quota: penalties, exemptions and appeals’ section)
- compliance actions under relevant fisheries legislation
- penalties for late or incomplete returns
Where both underutilisation and benefit non‑delivery occur, penalties are cumulatively applied.
Submit an appeal
You may submit an appeal to quota@defra.gov.uk where you believe:
- the assessment did not correctly consider submitted evidence
- exceptional circumstances materially limited your ability to deliver a commitment
- the penalty applied is disproportionate
Appeals will be reviewed by the QAM advisory panel, with decisions communicated within the published timescales.
Contact us
If you have any questions or would like to provide feedback on this guidance, you can email quota@defra.gov.uk.
Annex A: Gear scoring grid
When you apply for QAM, we will ask what gears and modifications you will use when fishing your quota. Gears have been grouped and ranked by their selectivity, impact on the seabed and support for bycatch mitigation.
You will get more points for using gears and modifications which have higher selectivity, lower impact on the seabed and support bycatch mitigation.
Handline rod and reel
Your option is minimum legal requirement (10 points)
Pots and traps
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (8 points)
- escape holes or ropeless (10 points)
Longlines
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (6 points)
- proven bycatch reduction hook design or bycatch reduction device (10 points)
Nets (driftnet, gillnets)
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (6 points)
- modified design (for example hanging of net) to reduce unwanted catches or increased mesh size (8 points)
- increase mesh size with bycatch reduction devices (10 points)
Seine trawls (fly shooter, Danish or Scottish seine)
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (6 points)
- increase in mesh size (+10%) above the legal requirement (8 points)
- substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend (10 points)
Pelagic nets (seines and trawls)
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (6 points)
- proven bycatch reduction devices or net modifications (for example escape panels) to minimise unwanted catches (8 points)
- proven bycatch reduction devices and net modifications (escape panels) to minimise unwanted catches (10 points)
Beam trawl TR1+ (100+mm)
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (3 points)
- increase in mesh size (+10%) above the legal requirement (6 points)
- substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend, or sumwing (8 points)
- substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend with sumwing and low impact alternative to tickler chains or chain mat (10 points)
Demersal trawl TR1+ (100+mm)
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (3 points) *increase in mesh size (+10%) above the legal requirement (6 points)
- semi-pelagic doors with substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend, or raised fishing line, or large mesh size in the belly (300+mm) (8 points)
- semi-pelagic doors combined with reduced seabed contact ground gear and substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend, or raised fishing line or large mesh size in the belly (300+mm) (10 points)
Beam trawl TR2 (70mm to 99mm)
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (1 point)
- increase in mesh size (+10%) above the legal requirement (3 points)
- substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend, or sumwing (6 points)
- substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend with sumwing (8 points)
- substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend with sumwing and low impact alternative to tickler chains or chain mat (10 points)
Demersal trawl TR2 (70mm to 99mm)
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (1 point)
- increase in mesh size (+10%)above the legal requirement (3 points)
- substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend, or dual codend with larger mesh upper codend, or net grids (6 points)
- semi-pelagic doors combined with reduced seabed contact ground gear, or selection grid (rigid or flexible) with substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend (8 points)
- semi-pelagic doors combined with reduced seabed contact ground gear and selection grid (rigid or flexible) with substantially larger (+25%) mesh escape panels or sections, or expansive square mesh escape panels, or square mesh codend (10 points)
Dredges
Your options are:
- minimum legal requirement (1 point)
- dredge design with lower impact metal frames and chain mesh bags or lower impact metal teeth (3 points)
- dredge design with lower impact metal frames and chain mesh bags and modified lower impact metal teeth (6 points)
- novel selective dredge design with proven minimal bottom contact (8 points)
- alternative selective method for harvesting scallops without towed gear and minimal bottom impact (10 points)
Annex B: 2025 English additional quota (AQ) and 2026 ICES headline advice
The total available tonnages of the stocks listed are not yet known. This table provides English 2025 additional quota tonnages for each stock (taken from Fishing quota allocations for England and the UK) and ICES advice for 2026 as reference.
The 2026 AQ figures are provisional and are subject to change. No decisions have made on total allowable catch (TAC) or quota transfers for 2026. ICES headline advice is included to indicate stock status and help with planning.
| Stock name and code | English additional quota tonnage for 2025 | ICES 2026 headline advice - % change compared to 2025 | Potential additional quota tonnage for 2026 following ICES advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglerfish 7 (ANF/07.) | 1,985.0 | -3% | 1,925 |
| Anglerfish North Sea (ANF/2AC4-C) | 150.5 | -5% | 143 |
| Anglerfish West of Scotland (ANF/56-14) | 194.4 | -5% | 185 |
| Cod North Sea (COD/2A3AX4) | 335.2 | -100% | N/A |
| Herring North Sea (HER/4AB.) | 4,262.5 | -27% | 3,112 |
| Herring Southern North Sea and Eastern Channel (HER/4CXB7D) | 1,196.5 | -27% | 873 |
| Hake North Sea (HKE/2AC4-C) | 229.5 | -6% | 216 |
| Hake Western (HKE/571214) | 315.3 | -6% | 296 |
| Mackerel Western (MAC/2CX14-) | 5,255.5 | -70% | 1,577 |
| Nephrops 7 (NEP/07.) | 60.2 | Not available at time of launch | N/A |
| Saithe North Sea (POK/2C3A4) | 1,161.7 | -24% | 883 |
| Sole North Sea (SOL/24-C.) | 1,150.4 | 25% | 1,438 |
| Skates and rays Western (SRX/67AKXD) | 288.1 | Not available at time of launch | N/A |
| Blue whiting Northern (WHB/1X14) | 304.3 | -41% | 180 |