Fishing vessel weekly licence variations 20 December 2024

Notice to all licenced fishers,

ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED (IUU) FISHING REGULATION

You may be aware the EU has recently published changes to its Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing regulation.  As part of this, it introduces revisions to IUU documents from third countries to support traceability of fish produce entering the common market. These new provisions will be mandatory for fish produce traded from all third countries into the EU from January 2026. You can read more about these changes in the EU’s frequently asked questions document.

While you may not export directly, much of the seafood caught or farmed in UK waters is exported abroad with around 75% of this going to EU markets. This means these changes may impact you and your produce further down the supply chain.

Marine Directorate and the other UK Fisheries Authorities and Crown Dependencies are committed to working with the industry to help minimise any potential disruption or additional administrative burden, and to ensure we are compliant with this revised regulation.

We are still working through these new requirements and how best we can meet them. In the first instance, we will shortly be launching a period of user research and will be contacting selected fishers, merchants and exporters to better understand your processes, what these potential changes might mean for you and how we can best support you. We encourage you to have your say and help us shape the export process - if you are interested in taking part, please complete the sign-up form below (see link) to join our research panel. Our User Researcher will then contact you directly to arrange a research session:

https://defragroup.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0f7qLxEhnBp5QTI

We will be in touch again soon with further details of these changes and any potential new requirements; please also look out for updates on this webpage, MMO’s website, social media channels and fortnightly Fishers and Seafood Exporters bulletin.

 

Remote Electronic Monitoring

Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) is now mandatory for any vessel dredging for scallops in Scottish waters, and for Scottish scallop dredge vessels wherever they are fishing.  Guidance is available at https://www.gov.scot/policies/sea-fisheries/remote-electronic-monitoring/

The legislation - The Sea Fisheries (Remote Electronic Monitoring and Regulation of Scallop Fishing) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 – also requires REM on relevant pelagic vessels from 7 March 2026.  In order to prepare for the new rules coming into force, remote inspections and system test trips can be carried out from 7 September 2025.  Guidance on the pelagic vessel requirements will be published in due course.

Fishing vessel quota limits tables: 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - showing the quota limits applicable to 10m and under and over 10m non-sector vessels.

Fisheries closures table: 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) showing all fisheries closures, by group, for Scottish fishing licences.

Lerwick (Shetland) administered AU (10m and under) vessels

From 1 May 2023, all AU licensed vessels must hail into and out of port to either of the following contacts:

By text is 07771396483. No calls will be answered on the number.

By email: inshoreLK@gov.scot

The following details must be included in your message

• on departure the vessel name, PLN, name of master, port of departure and date/time of departure
• on return the vessel name, PLN, name of master, port of return and date/time of return

The following are presented for clarity of the current fortnightly period.

Management Group	Type of Licence	Reason	Species	Area of Sea	Limit	Effective Date
10 Metre and Under- Non PO (Moray Firth)	AU	Effective date	Mackerel	2a & 4	Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes	0001 hours on 22 December 2024 - 2359 hours on 31 December 2024
10 Metre and Under- Non PO (Shetland)  (See hailing in and out instructions)	AU	Effective date	Mackerel	2a & 4	Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes	0001 hours on 22 December 2024 - 2359 hours on 31 December 2024
10 Metre and Under- Non PO (Orkney)	AU	Effective date	Mackerel	2a & 4	Fortnightly catch limit of 1 tonnes	0001 hours on 22 December 2024 - 2359 hours on 31 December 2024
10 Metre and Under- Non PO (IVb)	AU	Effective date	Mackerel	2a & 4	Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes	0001 hours on 22 December 2024 - 2359 hours on 31 December 2024

The UK Fisheries Monitoring Centre opening hours during the forthcoming festive period will be as follows, with 24 hour coverage being scaled back from Monday 23rd December:

DAY	DATE	UKFMC OPEN HOURS
Sunday	22/12/2024	Normal 24 hours
Monday	23/12/2024	00:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	24/12/2024	08:30 - 17:00
Wednesday	25/12/2024	Closed
Thursday	26/12/2024	Closed
Friday	27/12/2024	08:30 - 17:00
Saturday	28/12/2024	08:30 - 17:00
Sunday	29/12/2024	08:30 - 17:00
Monday	30/12/2024	08:30 - 17:00
Tuesday	31/12/2024	08:30 - 17:00
Wednesday	01/01/2025	Closed
Thursday	02/01/2025	Normal 24 hours commencing 07:00