Guidance

Record your catch

Create and submit catch records for all English and Welsh under 10 metre (U10m) flag vessels that fish in UK waters.

Overview

Use this service to create and submit catch records for all English and Welsh under 10 metre (U10m) flag vessels that fish in UK waters.

You can use this service if you are a:

  • vessel owner
  • skipper

If you are a member of a producer organisation you should not use the online record your catch service and should continue to record your catch using a paper logbook.

All U10m flag vessels need to record their catch. The information is used to help UK fishing authorities manage fishing levels in a sustainable way.

This service replaces:

  • the NEP1 form
  • the MSAR1 form, however, depending on your location, local IFCAs may require additional information
  • the requirement to complete a log book when leasing fish quota and/or when fishing in 2 ICES areas (currently IVc/VIId and VIId/VIIe)

How to get an invite and register

How to get an invite

Vessel owners

All under 10 m fishing vessel owners should have received a letter or an email invite to register by the end of February 2020. New vessel owners, you will receive an email inviting you to register when you licence your under 10 m fishing vessel. The catch recording licence condition has been in place since 2020 and we will begin enforcing the associated licence condition from 28th February 2022.

Skippers

To get an invite email contact the owner of the vessel you work on.

How to register

Vessel owners

When you register, you’ll be asked to add the ports and gear you normally use and the species you catch for each of your vessels.

Adding this information before your trip makes it quicker to create a catch record. You’ll only need to do this once and you can change it in the future.

You can also add skippers to create catch records on your behalf.

Skippers

When you register you’ll be asked for your address and contact number.

What to record

You must create a catch record for everything you catch on every fishing trip.

You’ll be asked for information about your trip and the live weight of what you’ve caught.

Weights can be converted to live weights by multiplying them by a conversion factor.

If you catch quota species or species subject to catch limits all sizes of fish must be recorded unless exemptions apply.

Please see attached this guidance on how to correctly complete a Catch Record which also includes hints and tips on recording sub rectangles and species.

Catch Recording Guidance

You will also be required to record the area and statistical sub rectangle where the majority of your catch was caught.

ICES Sub Rectangle: North East

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email communications@marinemanagement.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

ICES Sub Rectangle: East

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email communications@marinemanagement.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

ICES Sub Rectangle: South East

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email communications@marinemanagement.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

ICES Sub Rectangle: South

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email communications@marinemanagement.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

ICES Sub Rectangle: South West

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email communications@marinemanagement.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

ICES Sub Rectangle: North West

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email communications@marinemanagement.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

ICES Sub Rectangle: Northern Ireland

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email communications@marinemanagement.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

When to record your catch

If you catch any species subject to quotas or catch limits

You must submit a catch record no later than on completion of landing and before the fish is moved from the place of landing or transported to point of sale. This is still the case if quota species are being retained on board and not landed, and all species being retained on board must be included.

This also applies if you catch a mix of species where some are subject to quota or catch limits and some are not.

If you catch only species not subject to quotas or catch limits

You must create a catch record within 24 hours of landing your catch. If after returning to port you retain any of them on board or in keep pots for landing at another time, you must create a catch record that lists both the species landed and the species retained and the weights in kgs when you create the catch record.

Landing shellfish to store pots

If you complete a fishing trip where you are landing directly to a store pot, you should complete and submit the catch record for what you have placed into the store pot. The catch recording service has a section for recording shellfish placed into store pots.

You are not required to complete a separate catch record when you empty the store pot.

If on the same trip you fish, or are present, in ICES area 4c and 7d, or 7d and 7e

You must create a catch record each time you cross the ICES boundary between these areas. You will need to use the apple or android app to create your catch record offline.

If you cross an ICES area while fishing

You must create a separate catch record for each ICES Area you have fished in. If you are catching any quota species or species subject to catch limits, these must be submitted no later than on completion of landing and before the fish is moved from the place of landing or transported to point of sale. If you are catching only species not subject to quotas or catch limits, these must be submitted within 24 hours of landing. If you catch a mixture of species subject to quotas or catch limits and species not subject to quotas or catch limits, you must submit the catch records no later than on completion of landing and before the fish is moved from the place of landing or transported to point of sale.

Where to record your catch

You can record your catch on the web or you can download the Android or Apple app. The app allows you to record your catch in an area without a mobile signal.

You can get help to create a catch record if you do not have the appropriate access, skills or confidence to complete the service online.

Start recording your catch

You can only use this service if you are a:

  • vessel owner of a licensed under 10 metre flag vessel
  • skipper who has been given permission by a vessel owner of a licensed under 10 metre vessel

Start now

Before you start

You will need:

  • to have already have an invite and be registered to use the catch recording service
  • your email address and password to sign in

Need help resetting your password?

These guides will take you through a straightforward process to reset your password so you can use the catch recording service again.

Get help

Contact centre

A contact centre is available. Phones will be staffed from 7am until 8pm Monday to Friday. At other times, the contact centre will run an automated service and fishers will be able to leave catch records over the phone. The contact centre number is 0300 0203 788.

Videos

These short videos provide step-by-step guides to the new service:

Further information is available in questions and answers from the consultation.

Published 30 August 2019
Last updated 23 August 2023 + show all updates
  1. Catch Recording password reset update

  2. Catch recording guidance updated

  3. 13 April 2023 update.

  4. Catch Recording Guidance 1.4 update

  5. Catch Recording Guidance - November 2022 update

  6. Update

  7. Catch recording guidance added to page.

  8. Catch update 30/09

  9. Change to contact center staffing hours

  10. Guidance updated

  11. Contact centre phone number added

  12. Updated guidance added

  13. First published.