Quota Leasing Scheme - April 2024
Offer of additional quota to vessels in the non-sector with under 10 metre capped licences and over 10 metres: Category B, Category C and no-quota annex licences.
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) intend to issue the results of the consultation on the licence uncapping in due course. In the meantime, Marine Management Organisation (MMO) are offering additional support through a further quota leasing scheme, offering additional opportunities to those with restricted licences.
MMO is opening a window for vessels in the non-sector with capped 10 metre and under licences and over 10 metre Category B, Category C and no-quota annex licences to apply for access to additional quota. Vessels with these licences have a limited number of quota stocks for which they can fish. Under this scheme, these vessels can apply for access to more opportunities for the remainder of 2024. At this stage, only stocks where the MMO are confident there is excess within the non-sector pools will be released.
The offer means that a small amount of the quota that England receives from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement will be distributed via the MMO to these vessels upon application and depending on availability. It will enable vessels with restricted non-sector licences to fish above their current limits for the leased quota stocks up to and including 31 December 2024.
Applications for access to this additional quota should be emailed to: fmc@marinemanagement.org.uk by 08:00 on Friday 12th April 2024.
Applications will need to include:
- Vessel Port Letters & Numbers (PLN);
- Vessel name;
- Owner name;
- Licence type (Capped 10 metres and under / Category B / Category C / No quota);
- Stocks including associated area they are requesting to lease (for example, ‘Anglerfish * Area 7’); and
- Total quantities requested for each stock.
Applications made after the stated date may still be considered, but quota availability after this date may be reduced. Applications will need to include a basic fishing plan and quantities of individual stocks required. Where there are competing proposals for stocks the MMO may assess applications against economic, environmental and social criteria.