Consultation on the Recommendations from the Scottish Licensing Review Working Group

Annex B 8-10 metre licence capacity aggregation limit for fast workers (creel vessels)

This section has been provided for reference only.

If the earlier stated principle of removing capacity penalties is taken forward, the current aggregation provisions, as detailed below, would no longer exist and the need to consider exemptions for fast creel workers would be removed.

The SLRWG had previously requested the introduction of a rule for fast workers (creel vessels) in the 8 to 10m band of the 10m and under sector, which would exempt those particular vessels from the 150kW limit on the aggregation of licences as this could have positive safety implications and result in improving business flexibility.

Currently aggregations involving the 10 metres and under fleet are subject to capacity limits. This is applied to the engine power of the recipient vessels as follows:

• Vessels between 8-10 metres overall length = 150kW
• Vessels under 8 metres overall length = 100 kW

Capacity aggregation limits for the 10 metre and under fleet have applied since 1996. Previously these were linked to Vessel Capacity Units ( VCUs), but from 14 ^th November 2005, the limits are now applied to the engine power (kW) rating of the vessel to be licensed from the aggregation. The limits do not apply where vessels are licensed by single licence transfers.

What was the objective/history of introducing rules for the 8-10 metre vessels?

In 2000 it was identified that there was a trend in vessel length towards the highest end of the 10 metres and under spectrum and a potential for much increased fishing effort from the so called "super under 10m boats". It was at that time that the idea of additional segmentation of the 10 metres and under fleet was discussed. Options put forward were:

• ring fencing the under 8m sector of the fleet in a relatively relaxed fashion, or
• operating a fixed gear element separately from the towed gear element.

The subsequent recommendation was that action should be taken to constrain fishing effort within the 10m & Under fleet by prohibiting the aggregation of licences from vessels under 8m onto vessels 8-10m from January 2001. Additionally and from the same date, a limit of 70 VCUs (subsequently changed to 100kW) was applied to the aggregation of licences onto vessels below 8m.

The sharp increase in the construction of highly efficient vessels between 9 and 10 metres prompted Fisheries Administrations to introduce monthly catch limits for North Sea Nephrops and to extend these arrangements subsequently to Area VII and West of Scotland Nephrops.