Agriculture & Farming

Commercial fishing licence and compliance

How to get a commercial fishing licence and comply with UK fishing regulations. Covers vessel licensing, quota allocation, catch recording, I-VMS requirements, and fish export certificates.

UK-wide
Guide summary

You must have a fishing vessel licence to fish commercially in UK waters. You cannot get a new licence - you must transfer one from another vessel. You must also record your catches and, if in England, have an I-VMS tracking device installed by May 2025.

  • Transfer an existing fishing licence (no new licences)
  • Check your licence for changes every week
  • Install I-VMS tracking by 12 May 2025 (England under-12m)
  • Record all catches (mandatory for all vessels)
  • Vessels 12m+ must use electronic logbook (ELSS)
  • Export fish to EU/Iceland/Ivory Coast needs catch certificate
  • Register your vessel before applying for a licence
  • Vessel licence application takes 5 working days
On this page
UK-wide

Related guides in Environmental Permits

Development Consent Order (DCO)

Offshore wind farms exceeding 100MW and other Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) require a Development Consent Order from …

Crown Estate Seabed Lease

All offshore wind developments in English and Welsh waters require a seabed lease from The Crown Estate.

Marine Licence

Activities in the marine environment (below Mean High Water Springs) require a Marine Licence from the Marine Management …

Commercial fishing in UK waters requires a fishing vessel licence from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in England, or equivalent bodies in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Important: No new fishing licences are issued. You must transfer an existing licence from another vessel.

Fishing vessel licensing

Getting a licence through transfer

Since no new licences are created, you need to:

  1. Find a vessel owner willing to transfer their licence entitlement
  2. Ensure the entitlement matches your vessel's tonnage and engine power
  3. Apply to MMO for the transfer
  4. Wait for Notification of Entitlement (aim: 5 working days)

Check weekly: It's a licence condition to check for variations every week.

Vessel size categories

Key size thresholds

SizeRequirements
Under 8mMax 100kW engine for aggregation licensing
10m and underMax 150kW engine; pool quota allocation
Over 10mFPO membership or non-sector allocation
12m and overElectronic logbook (ELSS) required

I-VMS requirements

Under-12m vessels in England must have I-VMS from May 2025.

Getting I-VMS compliant

  1. Purchase an approved I-VMS device
  2. Have it professionally installed
  3. Register with MMO
  4. Ensure it transmits regularly when fishing

Grant funding: £1.57 million was distributed through EMFF to help with device costs.

Quota and FQA system

How UK fishing quota is allocated and traded.

Accessing quota

For over 10m vessels:

  • Join a Fish Producer Organisation (FPO) - they manage quota for members
  • Or operate as 'non-sector' with direct MMO allocation
  • Can lease additional FQA units as needed

For 10m and under:

  • Access quota through the pool system
  • Monthly catch limits published by MMO

Catch recording and reporting

ELSS reporting timeline

ReportWhen
DEP (Departure)When leaving port
FAR (Fishing Activity)Daily by 23:59 UTC
PNO (Prior Notification)4+ hours before arrival
LAN (Landing Declaration)Within 24 hours of landing
TRA (Transhipment)Within 24 hours of transfer

Under 10m vessels: Use the catch recording service (phone or app).

Vessel registration

Vessels must be registered before obtaining a licence.

Export catch certificates

Required for exporting fish to many destinations.

Preparing for export

  1. Register for the catch certificate service
  2. Complete catch certificate for each consignment
  3. Obtain Export Health Certificate if required
  4. Check destination-specific requirements

From 10 January 2026: Additional information required for EU exports under IUU regulations.

Small vessel safety

Vessels under 15m have specific safety requirements.

Aquaculture (fish farming)