Fishing and aquaculture covers sea fishing, freshwater fishing, marine shellfish and finfish farming, and land-based fish farms and hatcheries. The workplace health and safety duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 apply to your shore-based operations — offices, net stores, processing sheds and hatchery buildings. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland. Crew safety at sea is regulated separately by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

Beyond that shared foundation, the rules diverge by what you do.

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 12 months and/or an unlimited fine in Magistrates' Court in England and Wales (12-month custody powers from 18 November 2024; fines unlimited since March 2015 under LASPO 2012, s.85)
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) (opens in a new tab)

HSE - Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 guidance (opens in a new tab)

What you need to do

Identify the description that best fits your business. If more than one applies — for example you operate a sea fishing vessel and also run a shellfish farm — follow every obligation that applies.

Every fishing and aquaculture business

Whatever you do, start with the universal spine. Follow "Set up and run a safe fishing or aquaculture business" for your shore-based health and safety, fire safety, employers' liability insurance, equality and data protection duties.
You operate a sea fishing vessel

Your vessel must be licensed, registered, and meet MCA safety requirements. Your crew need the right training and certification. Follow "Meet your sea fishing vessel duties" for vessel licensing (MMO, Marine Directorate, Welsh Government or DAERA), registration, MCA safety and first-sale fish registration.
You run an aquaculture business or fish freshwater commercially

You need authorisation from the Fish Health Inspectorate before you start, and the licensing and consenting regime depends on whether you farm in the sea, cultivate shellfish, harvest live bivalve molluscs, fish freshwater commercially or catch eels. Follow "Meet your aquaculture and freshwater fishing duties" for all the sector-specific licensing and consenting.
Confirm you have covered everything

Whatever you do, finish with the fishing and aquaculture compliance checklist to confirm your obligations are met.

Legal basis

Primary legislation and key regulations

Fisheries Act 2020 Primary 2020 · UK-wide Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Primary 1974 · UK-wide

Browse UK legislation legislation.gov.uk

Official guidance

GOV.UK: fishing and sea (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UK

MMO: fishing vessel licensing (opens in a new tab)

MMO

MCA: safety of fishing vessels and crew (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UK

MCA: fishing vessel safety codes (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UK

Which fishing and aquaculture regulations apply to your business

What you need to do

Every fishing and aquaculture business

You operate a sea fishing vessel

You run an aquaculture business or fish freshwater commercially

Confirm you have covered everything

Legal basis

Official guidance

Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Fishing and aquaculture: compliance checklist

Fire safety duties for Northern Ireland businesses

Fire safety duties for Scottish businesses

Set up a limited company

Persons with Significant Control (PSC) register requirements