Designated ports for direct landings by foreign vessels
Updated 9 October 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-ports/1-designated-ports-for-direct-landings-by-foreign-vessels-into-the-uk
This list of ports is for the direct landings by foreign vessels into the UK for the purposes of combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) fishing in relation to:
- FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA)
- North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) designated ports
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) designated ports
- International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) designated ports
Further information on IUU designated ports can be found at direct landings by foreign vessels into the UK.
1. Designations and what they mean
All these ports have been designated under NEAFC FAO/PSMA for IUU purposes. The UK has designated these ports to allow vessels to land or tranship catch caught by foreign (NEAFC) vessels in the NEAFC Convention Area. This is in line with the FAO Port State Measures Agreement.
Where the designation is also ‘NAFO’ the UK has designated these ports for landing or transhipping of catches made in the NAFO Convention Area. This allows for comprehensive port inspections to take place with well-trained and up-to-date inspectors.
Where the designation is also ‘ICCAT’ the UK has designated these ports for the landing of ICCAT species by foreign vessels. These ports are for the landing of all species covered under ICCAT.
Where the designation is also ‘Non-BCP’ these are not a UK Border Control Post (BCP) port. Frozen fish may only be landed here by a third country vessel if covered by relevant bilateral agreements. EU flagged factory, freezer and reefer vessels may continue to land fish that has undergone secondary processing (e.g. freezing) in any NEAFC designated UK port until 30 June 2022. From 1 July 2022, fish that has undergone secondary processing (e.g. freezing) from EU flagged factory, freezer and reefer vessels must be landed at a designated port with appropriate BCP facilities (except in Northern Ireland where those EU vessels can continue to land into any NEAFC designated port).
2. England
| Port | Any additional designation to NEAFC FAO/PSMA |
|---|---|
| Brixham | Non-BCP |
| Falmouth | Non-BCP |
| Humberside (Grimsby) | NAFO |
| Harwich | |
| Humberside (Hull) | NAFO |
| Immingham | NAFO |
| Liverpool | ICCAT |
| Lowestoft | Non-BCP |
| Newlyn | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| North Shields | |
| Plymouth | Non-BCP |
| Portsmouth | |
| Scarborough | Non-BCP |
| Shoreham | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Whitehaven | Non-BCP |
3. Wales
| Port | Any additional designation to NEAFC FAO/PSMA |
|---|---|
| Holyhead | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Milford Haven | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Swansea | Non-BCP |
4. Scotland
| Port | Any additional designation to NEAFC FAO/PSMA |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Buckie | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Campbeltown | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Dundee | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Eyemouth | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Fraserburgh | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Grangemouth | ICCAT |
| Greenock | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Invergordon | ICCAT |
| Kinlochbervie | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Leith | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Lerwick | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Lochinver | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Mallaig | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Methil | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Oban | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Peterhead | ICCAT |
| Scalloway | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Scrabster | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Stornoway | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Troon | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
| Ullapool | ICCAT, Non-BCP |
5. Northern Ireland
| Port | Any additional designation to NEAFC FAO/PSMA |
|---|---|
| Ardglass | Non-BCP |
| Bangor | Non-BCP |
| Belfast | ICCAT |
| Kilkeel | Non-BCP |
| Londonderry | Non-BCP |
| Portavogie | Non-BCP |
| Warrenpoint | Non-BCP |