Fishing vessel weekly licence variations 8 October 2021

Fishing vessel quota limits tables 2021 - showing the quota limits applicable to both 10m and under non-PO and over 10m non-sector vessels.

Fisheries closures table 2021 - showing the current status of fish stocks following the issue and publication of the above variations (if any).

Producer Organisation/Non-Producer Organisation Group	Type of Licence	Reason	Species	Area of Sea	Effective Date
SFO	AUP	Closure	Blue Ling	EU and International Waters of IIa & IV	0001 hours on 10 October 2021
SFO	AO	Closure	Blue Ling	EU and International Waters of IIa & IV	0001 hours on 10 October 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a reminder of the current fortnightly catch limits of the applicable mackerel stocks.

Producer Organisation/Non-Producer Organisation Group	Type of Licence	Species	Area of Sea	Limit	Effective Date
10 Metre and Under – Non PO (Moray Firth)	AU	Mackerel	Moray Firth	Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes	0001 hours on 3 October 2021 – 2359 hours on 16 October 2021
10 Metre and Under – Non PO (Shetland)	AU	Mackerel	Shetland	Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes	0001 hours on 3 October 2021 – 2359 hours on 16 October 2021
10 Metre and Under – Non PO   (Orkney)	AU	Mackerel	Orkney	Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes	0001 hours on 3 October 2021 – 2359 hours on 16 October 2021
10 Metre and Under – Non PO   (IVb)	AU	Mackerel	IVb	Fortnightly catch limit of 2 tonnes	0001 hours on 3 October 2021 – 2359 hours on 16 October 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A notification to vessels operating in wild-capture fisheries

Incidental mortality and injury (“bycatch”) in fisheries is a threat to the conservation and welfare of marine mammals including cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and seals, and the UK Government and Devolved Administrations remain committed to tackling this issue as well as ensuring that our practices align with international standards.

We are therefore introducing a requirement for all wild-capture commercial fishers to report any incidental mortality and injury (bycatch) of marine mammals during fishing operations to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) within 48 hours of the end of the trip. The MMO will be coordinating the collection of bycatch data on behalf of all administrations. This requirement will be incorporated into licence conditions no later than 30th November 2021. 

The data will feed into UK bycatch monitoring programmes and help identify, and where possible reduce, any potential fisheries interactions with sensitive marine species, including marine mammals. This requirement aligns with a broader programme of work to meet the Fisheries Act ecosystem objective that “incidental catches of sensitive species are minimised and, where possible, eliminated”. This is also necessary in order for the UK to continue exporting wild-capture seafood to the US from 1st January 2023 as required by the US Marine Mammal Protection Act. Information will be reported by submitting an online form or, if preferred, by telephone. Data required as per the licence condition is limited to:

• Vessel name
• Vessel registration number
• Interaction date
• Approx. interaction time
• Approx. location (lat/long)
• Species of marine mammal
• Gear type
• Target species
• Whether an observer is present
• Any other information
• Action taken (if any)

If you have any views on the licence condition or reporting process, then please send them to Marine Scotland at marine_conservation@gov.scot

 

Fishing vessel safety annoucement on boarding ladders

Important informaton to read - safety annoucement on boarding ladders