Guidance
Understand your fishing vessel licence
How to understand each part of your fishing vessel licence – vessel details, conditions, schedule, annex and their current copies.
Understanding your vessel licence
Your fishing vessel licence is in several parts. You must read each part carefully to make sure you understand the terms attached to it and that they are correct for your fishing activity.
Contact your local Marine Management Organisation (MMO) office with any questions and notify them immediately if any of the details are incorrect.
An incorrect licence is invalid and you could be liable to penalties.
It is your responsibility to check your licence documents before going to sea as licences can be changed at any time. MMO publishes variations online and notifies those who have provided their contact information.
You can provide MMO with up to 2 emails, mobile phone numbers, or both, as a way of getting direct alerts about changes. You can receive notifications yourself, but it may make sense to nominate someone based onshore who can contact you on your vessel quickly.
Variations are considered to have been received when they are published online. You are required, as part of your licence conditions, to check each week for any changes.
Part 1: Vessel details
This part includes:
- category of licence
- official licence number
- characteristics of your vessel
- registered owners
- specific authorities for scallop dredging, beam trawl fishing, fish for shellfish with pots, fixed nets or both
- membership of a fish producer organisation
Part 2: Conditions
This specifies how your vessel will fish. You may be directed to make landings at certain ports and times.
Part 3: Schedule
This sets out the authority under which you are allowed to fish.
Part 4: Annex
This lists species that you are not permitted to fish and any catch limits for stocks that you are able to fish and land.
Fishing vessel licences: 10 metre and under vessels - non-sector
These are vessels 10-metres-and-under that don’t belong to a producer organisation.
Uncapped licences for the non-sector and Isle of Man have the same conditions and schedules, and their own specific annexes.
Capped licences for the non-sector have the same conditions, schedule and annex.
Fishing vessel licences: 10 metre and under vessels - sector
All vessels that are members of a producer organisation have the same conditions and schedule.
They each have their own specific annexes.
Fishing vessel licences: over 10 metre vessels - Category A
All Category A vessels have the same conditions and schedule.
There are specific annexes for vessels in the non-sector, Isle of Man, and each producer organisation.
Fishing vessel licences: over 10 metre vessels - Category A (Islands)
There are no producer organisation vessels that are Category A (Islands) vessels. All Category A (Islands) vessels are in the non-sector and have the same conditions, schedule and annex.
Fishing vessel licences: over 10 metre vessels - Category A (Pelagic)
All Category A vessels have the same conditions and schedule.
There are specific annexes for vessels in each producer organisation. There are no Category A (Pelagic) non-sector vessels.
Fishing vessel licences: over 10 metre vessels - Category B
All Category B vessels have the same conditions and schedule.
There are specific annexes for vessels in the non-sector, Isle of Man, and each producer organisation.
Fishing vessel licences: over 10 metre vessels - Category C
All Category C vessels have the same conditions and schedule.
There are specific annexes for vessels in the non-sector, Isle of Man, and each producer organisation.
Fishing vessel licences: over 10 metre vessels - Deep sea species
All deep sea species vessels have the same conditions and schedule.
There are specific annexes for vessels in the non-sector and each producer organisation.
Fishing vessel licences: over 10 metre vessels - Handline mackerel
There are no producer organisation vessels with handline mackerel conditions and schedules. There is no annex.
Fishing vessel licences: over 10 metre vessels - Thames and Blackwater
There are no producer organisation vessels with these conditions and schedules. There is no annex.
Single licence category for the over ten metre fleet segment in Scotland.
Marine Scotland have created a single licence category for the over ten metre fleet segment in Scotland.
Different licence categories will remain in existence in England after 30 June 2017. Category B or C licence entitlements transferring from Scotland will be received as a Category B or C as they were prior to 1 July 2017.
Scottish licences created through disaggregation or aggregation in Scotland after 30 June 2017 will be tracked back to the lowest common denominator and received accordingly on transfer to England. For example a licence aggregation between an ex-Category B and an ex-Category A licence in Scotland will be received in England as a Category B licence.
Latent capacity licence monitoring
In 2015 Defra carried out an exercise to address latent capacity in the English under 10m fleet. A number of licences had their finfish licence capped at 350kgs and/or had their shellfish permit temporarily suspended. This exercise included an appeals process. Some appeals were successful but subject to a monitoring period of 2 years.
This period drew to an end in most cases on 31 December 2017. Defra officials will be seeking to review this policy in 2018. In the interim all licences subject to monitoring will continue to be able to fish to the limits as set out in their current licence until further notice.
If you have any queries please contact the Defra Helpline on 0345 933 5577 or email fisheriesreform@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
Further information
More information on:
Last updated 20 April 2018 + show all updates
- Annexes updated in line with variation published 20 April 2018
- Annexes added for variation effective 18 April 2018
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 4599 and 9199 updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- licence variation for under 10 metre vessels
- Bass variation added
- Documents updated
- Documents updated
- Variations effective from 00:01 hours, Sunday 14 January 2018 added
- Latent capacity licence update
- 2018 annexes added
- Annexe 119 updated
- Annexes updated in line with variation dated 18 December 2017
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated in line with variation effective 19 November 2017
- Documents updated
- Documents updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- Variations effective from 00:01 hours, Monday 23 October 2017 added
- Documents updated
- 1199 and 1299 updated
- Annex 119 updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- 31sch updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Schedules updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Annexe 1116 and 1117 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Text added
- Annexes updated in line with variation dated 22 June 2017
- Annexes updated in line with variation effective 2 June 2017
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated in line with variation of 25 May 2017
- Annexes updated in line with variation 18 May 2017
- Annexes updated in line with variation published 12 May 2017
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 117 updated
- Annexes 319, 199 updated
- changes to annexes in line with variation dated 01 May 2017
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Changes in line with variation dated 6 April 2017
- Annexes updated
- Annexe updated
- 23sch updated
- Annexe 4599 and 9199 updated
- 4599 updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- 118 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- 4599 and 9199 updated
- Annexe 4599 and 9199
- 2017 annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Updates in line with variation dated 12 December 2016
- Update to annexe 118 and 1120
- Annex updated in line with variation dated 6 December 2016
- Cornish FPO Pelagic Category A licence added
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updates
- Annexe 1110 updated
- Annexes updated
- Page updated
- Annexe 1119 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Updated annexes in line with variation dated 09 September 2016
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Annexe 119 updated
- Annexes updated
- 11sch updated
- Variations effective from 00:01 hours, Thursday 11 August 2016 added
- PDFs updated
- Annexes updated in line with variation dated 29 July 2016
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 9199, 1199, 1299 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 1199 and 1299 updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated in line with variation dated 24 June 2016
- Annexes updated in line with variation dated 22 June 2016
- Annex updated in line with variation dated 13 June 2016
- Annexes udpated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated in line with variation dated 27 May 2016
- Annex's updated in line with variation dated 26 May 2016
- Annex updated in line with variation dated 20 May 2016
- Annexes updated in line with variation dated 19 May 2016
- Annex updated in line with variation dated Friday 13 May 2016
- Annexes updated in line with variation dated 11 May 2016
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 1116 updated
- Documents updated
- various updates in line with variation dated 22 April 2016
- Annexes updated
- changes in line with variation dated 11 April 2016
- Annexes updated
- update to Annexes in line with variation dated 31 March 2016
- Annexes updated
- changes to annexe in line with variation dated 24 March 2016
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Conditions updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 3199 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Various annexes removed
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Real time closure conditions updated
- Schedules updated
- Annexe 1119 changed
- 11, 12, 17, 31, 41 and transitional conditions PDFs changed
- 91 and 94 schedules updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents updated
- Annexe 119 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 1125 and 1725 updated
- Annexe 1123 updated
- All documents updated
- changes to schedules in line with variation dated 21 December 2015
- Annexes updated
- Changes in line with variation dated 11 December 2015
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- Schedule 17 updated
- changes to annexes in line with variation dated 26 November 2015
- Schedule 17 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 119 and 319 updated
- Documents updated
- Documents updated
- update to annexe in line with updated variation dated Friday 13 November
- changes to annexes in line with variation dated Friday 13 November 2015
- Documents updated
- change to annexe in line with variation dated Thursday 08 November 2015
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annex 9199, 9499, 119 and 319 updated
- Schedules updated
- Annexe 913 updated
- South Western Fish Producers' Organisation (313) added
- Documents updated
- Documents updated
- Annexe 1199 updated
- Annexe 119, 1110, and 4110 updated
- Documents updated
- 18 documents updated
- Annexe 119 updated
- Changes made to annexes in line with variation dated 18 September 2015
- Changes to Annexe1117 in ine with varaition dated 18 September 2015
- changes to annexes in line with variation dated 16 September 2015
- PDFs updated
- 23con PDF updated
- Annexe updated
- Annexe 1110 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 119 and 319 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated
- Documents changed
- PDFs updated
- Annexe 118 updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 119 updated
- Documents updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexe updated
- Annexes updated
- Annexes updated to reflect Scottish real time closure
- Annexes SWFPO, FPO, SFPO, NIFPO, Aberdeen FPO, NESFPO, EEFPO, Fleetwood FPO, NSFO. West of Scotland FPO, NAFPO and the Isle of Man updated
- Annexes changed to reflect restrictions in bass fishing
- Over 10 metre vessels - Deep sea species schedule changed
- Documents updated
- Annex 119 added
- Conditions PDFs changed
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Annexe updated
- Annexes and conditions updated
- Annexe 112 updated
- Annexes updated according to variation dated 14 May 2015
- Annexe 119 and 319 updated
- Documents updated
- Documents updated
- Vessel licence changes effective from 00:01 hours, Friday 1 May 2015.
- Annex updated according to variation dated 24 April 2015
- Annexe 1199 updated
- Conditions 11, 12, 17, 31, 41 and transitional 11 condition
- Conditions 11, 12, 17, 31, 41 updated. Transitional 11 condition updated
- Annexe1110 updated
- Annexe 1110 updated
- PDFs updated
- Additional documents relating to variation dated 30 March 2015
- Annexes updated
- Annexe 1125 and 1725 added
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Conditions 11, 12, 17, 31 and 41 and Transitional 11.
- Annexe 9199 and 9499 updated
- Annexe 1125 and 1725 updated
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Annex 9199, 9499, 1199, 1299, 3199, 1110, 1119 updated
- Transitional Condition A (11) updated
- Updates to conditions and schedules for licences 11,12, 17, 31, 41
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Transitional 11con schedule updated
- Annexe 9199 updated
- Annexes updated as per variation dated 30 January 2015
- annex updated due to variation dated 22 January 2014
- Changes to annexes 1125 and 1725 in line with variation 18 January 2015
- Annexe 119 and Annexe 319 updated
- Changes to annexes 111, 171, 911
- Annexe 9499 updated
- updated to reflect licence variation effective 00.01 on Thursday 1 January 2015
- Changes to annex 119
- Changes to annexe 9199
- Changes to annexes in line with variation dated 14 December
- Changes to annexes in line with variation dated 5 December 2014
- updated a number of documents following licence variation (9199, 1199, 1299 and 3199).
- annexes updated to match variation
- Annexes updated to match variation
- Updated to match variation issued 31 October
- Updated to reflect variation
- Annexes changed to match vessel licence variation
- annexes updated to match licence variation
- Annexes updated as per variation effective 12 October
- annexes updated to match licence variation
- schedules updated to reflect variation dated 29 September 2014
- updated according to licence variation
- Updated a number of annexes to reflect licence variation effective 22 September
- Updated annex for licence 112
- updated a number of annexes
- Annexes updated as per variation
- annexes updated
- Annexes updated according to licence variation
- annexes updated according to licence variation dated 15 August 2014
- Licence annexes updated in association with licence variation issued 8 August 2014
- Annexes updated
- Licence annexes uploaded in line with variation
- Schedules updated
- First published.