Use this checklist to confirm your fishing or aquaculture business meets its obligations. Work through each item and answer yes or no. If you answer no, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Shore-based health and safety is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain and by HSENI in Northern Ireland. Crew safety at sea is regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. Fishing vessel licensing is administered by the MMO (England), Marine Directorate (Scotland), Welsh Government (Wales) and DAERA (Northern Ireland). Each section names the body that applies.

Section 1 — Every fishing and aquaculture business

These shore-based workplace and registration duties apply to every operator, whether you fish at sea, farm fish or harvest shellfish. Confirm each one.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA)

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 - primary UK workplace health and safety legislation establishing employer and employee duties. Pure data reference.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA 1974) is the primary legislation governing workplace health and safety in the United Kingdom. It establishes the legal framework for protecting the health, safety and welfare of people at work and those affected by work activities.

Legal status: Primary legislation - principal UK health and safety statute
Royal Assent: 31 July 1974
Came into force: 1 April 1975 (in stages)
Geographic scope: Great Britain (separate legislation applies in Northern Ireland)
Applies to: All employers, employees, self-employed persons, and those who control work premises
Primary duty (Section 2): Employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees
Duty to non-employees (Section 3): Employers must protect persons not in their employment (contractors, visitors, public) who may be affected by work activities
Employee duties (Sections 7-8): Employees must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others, cooperate with employers, and not misuse safety equipment
Enforcement authority: Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities
Maximum penalties (post-2008 amendments): Unlimited fines in Crown Court; imprisonment up to 2 years for individuals; up to 6 months and/or £20,000 fine in Magistrates' Court
Referenced by regulators: Cited in 31 regulatory documents in the ORDS (Office for Regulatory Delivery and Simplification) dataset
Secondary regulations: Enables creation of health and safety regulations (e.g. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, COSHH, Manual Handling)

Reasonably practicable: The Act uses the term "so far as is reasonably practicable" throughout. This means employers must balance the level of risk against the time, trouble and cost of controlling it. However, the law is weighted in favour of health and safety - employers must demonstrate that control measures would be grossly disproportionate to the risk before they can be considered not reasonably practicable.

Self-employed persons: The Act also places duties on self-employed persons to protect their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their work activities.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (legislation.gov.uk)

HSE - Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 guidance

1

Have you written your risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place for shore-based operations?

Your general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 covers your shore-based operations — quayside handling, net and gear work, processing, packing and hatchery tasks. Risk-assess these and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place. If not, follow "Set up and run a safe fishing or aquaculture business".
2

Have you carried out a fire risk assessment for your shore-based premises?

The fire-safety duty covers every non-domestic premises you occupy — offices, net stores, cold stores, processing sheds, hatchery buildings. It does not cover vessels at sea. Carry out a fire risk assessment under the regime for your nation.
3

Do you hold employers' liability insurance?

Hold at least £5 million of cover once you employ anyone — crew, farm workers, shore staff — and display the certificate issued by your insurer.
4

Do you meet your equality and data protection duties?

Do not discriminate under the Equality Act 2010 (or separate NI equality law enforced by the ECNI); comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, registering with the ICO unless exempt.

Section 2 — Sea fishing vessels

Only complete this section if you operate a sea fishing vessel. These licensing, registration and safety duties apply to every commercial fishing vessel.

1

Does your vessel hold a fishing vessel licence?

All British fishing vessels fishing commercially must hold a licence from the MMO (England), Marine Directorate (Scotland), Welsh Government (Wales) or DAERA (Northern Ireland). If not, follow "Meet your sea fishing vessel duties".
2

Is your vessel registered and does it meet MCA safety standards?

Your vessel must be registered on the UK Ship Register and meet the applicable MCA safety code — the Small Fishing Vessel Code for under-15m vessels, or the full survey regime for larger vessels. Registration must be completed before obtaining a licence.
3

Are you registered as a buyer or seller of first-sale fish (England)?

If you buy or sell first-sale fish in England, you must be registered with the MMO and submit sales notes and take-over declarations. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own first-sale schemes.

Section 3 — Aquaculture and freshwater fishing

Only complete this section if you run an aquaculture business or fish freshwater commercially. The regime is very devolved — each item names the per-nation regulator.

1

Is your aquaculture production business authorised?

You must be authorised by the Fish Health Inspectorate (APHA) in England and Wales, or the Marine Directorate in Scotland, before you start. If not, follow "Meet your aquaculture and freshwater fishing duties".
2

Do you hold a marine licence for your aquaculture installations?

Cages, longlines, trestles or moorings in the sea need a marine licence from the MMO (England), Marine Directorate (Scotland), NRW (Wales) or DAERA (Northern Ireland), plus a Crown Estate seabed lease.
3

Do you have a several or regulating order for shellfish cultivation?

Exclusive shellfish-bed cultivation in England and Wales needs a several or regulating order from the MMO under the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967.
4

Are you harvesting from a classified shellfish production area?

Live bivalve molluscs must come from a classified (A, B or C) production area. Check your classification with the FSA (England and Wales) or Food Standards Scotland, register as a food business, and apply class-appropriate treatment.
5

Do you hold a freshwater fishing licence?

Commercial net and instrument fishing for salmon, trout, eels and freshwater fish needs an Environment Agency licence (England) or NRW licence (Wales). Scotland has a separate regime through district salmon fishery boards.
6

Do you hold an eel and elver authorisation?

Fishing for eels or elvers needs a specific Environment Agency authorisation (England) or NRW authorisation (Wales), with approved gear and escapement reporting.
7

Do you hold a water abstraction licence and environmental permit for land-based operations?

Land-based fish farms abstracting more than 20 cubic metres per day or discharging effluent need an abstraction licence and an environmental permit from the EA (England), NRW (Wales) or SEPA (Scotland).

If you answered no to anything

Work through the guide linked in that item. The three task guides — "Set up and run a safe fishing or aquaculture business", "Meet your sea fishing vessel duties", and "Meet your aquaculture and freshwater fishing duties" — set out what to do. Start from "Which fishing and aquaculture rules apply" if you are not sure which apply to you.

Official sources

Authoritative guidance for fishing and aquaculture compliance.

Fishing and aquaculture: compliance checklist

Health and safety for small businesses

Penalties for trading without required approvals

Approvals and registrations you need before trading

Set up and run a safe mineral products factory

Security and investigation compliance checklist

Section 1 — Every fishing and aquaculture business

Have you written your risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place for shore-based operations?

Have you carried out a fire risk assessment for your shore-based premises?

Do you hold employers' liability insurance?

Do you meet your equality and data protection duties?

Section 2 — Sea fishing vessels

Does your vessel hold a fishing vessel licence?

Is your vessel registered and does it meet MCA safety standards?

Are you registered as a buyer or seller of first-sale fish (England)?

Section 3 — Aquaculture and freshwater fishing

Is your aquaculture production business authorised?

Do you hold a marine licence for your aquaculture installations?

Do you have a several or regulating order for shellfish cultivation?

Are you harvesting from a classified shellfish production area?

Do you hold a freshwater fishing licence?

Do you hold an eel and elver authorisation?

Do you hold a water abstraction licence and environmental permit for land-based operations?

If you answered no to anything

Official sources

Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Section 1 — Every fishing and aquaculture business

Have you written your risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place for shore-based operations?

Have you carried out a fire risk assessment for your shore-based premises?

Do you hold employers' liability insurance?

Do you meet your equality and data protection duties?

Section 2 — Sea fishing vessels

Does your vessel hold a fishing vessel licence?

Is your vessel registered and does it meet MCA safety standards?

Are you registered as a buyer or seller of first-sale fish (England)?

Section 3 — Aquaculture and freshwater fishing

Is your aquaculture production business authorised?

Do you hold a marine licence for your aquaculture installations?

Do you have a several or regulating order for shellfish cultivation?

Are you harvesting from a classified shellfish production area?

Do you hold a freshwater fishing licence?

Do you hold an eel and elver authorisation?

Do you hold a water abstraction licence and environmental permit for land-based operations?

If you answered no to anything

Official sources