Statutory guidance

Technical Conservation and Landing Obligation rules and regulations 2021

Guidance on the technical conservation and landing obligation (discard ban) regulations for 2021. Including how the rules apply, selling undersize fish, reporting requirements and quota management.

Documents

North Sea - Beam trawls

North Sea - Nephrops

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email communications@marinemanagement.org.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

North Sea - Demersal towed gears

North Sea - Fixed nets

North Sea - Longline

Celtic Sea - Demersal towed gears

Celtic Sea - Nephrops

Irish Sea - Demersal towed gears

Irish Sea - Nephrops

North Western Waters - Beam trawls

North Western Waters - Fixed nets

Outside UK waters - All gears

Details

Please note the measures and exemptions to the landing obligation rules detailed within the guidance below apply within UK waters. Any new exemptions or changes will be brought into force via secondary legislation and will be subject to Parliamentary approval.

UK vessels that intend to fish outside of UK waters, must follow the relevant exemption conditions within the Commission Delegated Regulations (EU), 2020/2014 and 2020/2015 specifying details of implementation of the landing obligation for certain demersal fisheries. Please refer to the exemption guidance notice ‘2021 Outside UK waters – All gears’ which summarises each exemption.

Exemptions within UK waters

New Exemption in force from 1st Jan until the end of 2021

“In fisheries by vessels using bottom trawls (OTB, OTT, TB, TBN) of mesh size 80-99mm in the United Kingdom waters of ICES subarea 4 and ICES Division 2a: a quantity of Norway lobster below the minimum conservation reference size, which shall not exceed 2% of the total annual catches of that species.”

Discard Plan Type Species ICES area (UK waters) Gear Mesh Size Relevant Segment
NS De minimis Nephrops 2a and 4 Bottom trawls (OTB, OTT, TB, TBN) 80-99mm TR2

The de minimis exemption effectively replaces the high survivability time-limited exemption for North Sea Nephrops. The high survivability exemption that was for North Sea Nephrops has not been extended due to lack of supporting scientific data.

Continued Exemptions:

Where shown, MCRS is minimum conservation reference size.

Exemption Discard Plan Exemption type Species ICES area (UK waters) Gear types Mesh size Relevant segment  
Survivability exemption for Norway lobster NWW High survivability Nephrops 6 and 7 All pots, traps, creels All mesh sizes All fleets  
Survivability exemption for Norway lobster NWW High survivability Nephrops 7 All bottom trawls ≥100mm TR1  
Survivability exemption for Norway lobster NWW High survivability Nephrops 7 All bottom trawls 70-99mm TR2  
Survivability exemption for Norway lobster NWW High survivability Nephrops 6a Otter Trawls only 80-110mm All fleets  
Survivability exemption for common sole NWW High survivability Sole 7d (within 6nm) Otter Trawls, TBN and TBS 80-99mm TR2  
Survivability exemption for skates and rays NWW High survivability Skates and Rays 6 and 7 All gear types All mesh sizes All fleets  
Survivability exemption for plaice NWW High survivability Plaice 7d-7g Trammels All mesh sizes Trammels  
Survivability exemption for plaice NWW High survivability Plaice 7d-7g Otter trawls All mesh sizes TR1-3  
Survivability exemption for plaice NWW High survivability Plaice 7a-7k BT2 beam trawls with flip up or benthic release 80-119mm BT2    
Survivability exemption for plaice NWW High survivability Plaice 7a-7k BT2 beam trawls within 12 nm and tow <90 mins 80-119mm BT2  
Survivability exemption for plaice NWW High survivability Plaice 7d Danish Seines All mesh sizes All fleets  
Survivability exemption for species caught in pots, traps and creels NWW High survivability All Species 5(excluding 5a and only including 5b) 6 and 7 Pots, traps and creels N/A N/A  
For whiting, up to a maximum of 5% of the total annual catches of that species by vessels using bottom trawls and seines with a mesh size equal to or greater than 80mm, pelagic trawls and beam trawls with a mesh size of 80-119mm NWW De minimis Whiting 7b-k Bottom trawls and seines and BT2 beam trawls Trawls ≥80mm Beams 80-119 mm TR1, TR2, BT 2  
For common sole, up to a maximum of 3 per cent of the total annual catches of that species by vessels using trammel and gill nets to catch common sole NWW De minimis Sole 7d-7g Trammels and Gill nets All mesh sizes All trammels and GN    
For common sole, up to a maximum of 3% of the total annual catches of that species by vessels using TBB gear with a mesh size of 80-119mm equipped with Flemish panel, to catch common sole… NWW De minimis Sole 7d,e,f, g Beam trawls plus Flemish panel 80-199mm BT 2    
For haddock, up to a maximum of 5% in 2020 of the total annual catches of that species by vessels using bottom trawls, seines and beam trawls, with a mesh size greater than or equal to 80mm NWW De minimis Haddock 7b, 7c and 7e- 7k Bottom trawls and seines and beam trawls ≥80mm TR 1, TR2, BT1, BT2  
For horse mackerel, up a maximum of 7% in 2020 of the total annual by-catches of those species, caught in demersal mixed fisheries, by vessels using bottom trawls, seines and beam trawls… NWW De minimis Horse Mackerel 6 and 7b-k Bottom trawls and seines and beam trawls All mesh sizes All fleets  
For mackerel, up to a maximum of 7% in 2020 of the total annual by-catches of that species, caught in demersal mixed fisheries, by vessels using bottom trawls, seines and beam trawls… NWW De minimis Mackerel 6 and 7b-k Bottom trawls and seines and beam trawls All mesh sizes All fleets  
For common sole, up to a maximum of 3% in 2020 of the total annual catches of that species by vessels using beam trawls with a mesh size of 80 – 119mm (BT2) with increased selectivity NWW De minimis Sole 7a,j,k Beam trawls plus Flemish panel 80-199mm BT 2  
For megrim below MCRS, up to a maximum of 5% in 2020 of the total annual catches of those species by vessels using bottom trawls with a mesh size of 70-99mm and beam trawls with a mesh size of 80-119mm NWW De minimis Megrim 7 Bottom trawls and beam trawls 70-99 mm (TR2) and 80-199 mm (BT2) TR2 and BT2  
For boarfish, up to a maximum of 0.5% in 2020 of the total annual catches of that species by vessels using bottom trawls NWW De minimis Boarfish 7b,c and 7f-k Bottom trawls All mesh sizes All fleets                
For greater silver smelt, up to 0.6% in 2020 of the total annual catches of that species by vessels using bottom trawls with a mesh size equal to or greater than 100mm (TR1) NWW De minimis Greater Silver Smelt 5b and 6 Bottom trawls ≥100mm TR1  
For haddock below MCRS, up to a maximum of 3%in 2020, of the total annual catches of that species by vessels using bottom trawls with a mesh size up to 119mm in the West of Scotland Norway lobster fishery NWW De minimis Haddock 6a Bottom trawls <120mm TR 1, TR2  
In the demersal mixed fishery carried out by vessels targeting brown shrimp and using beam trawls with a mesh size equal to or greater than 31mm NWW De minimis Brown Shrimp 7a Beam trawls ≥31mm TBB  
Survivability exemption for common sole NS High survivability Sole 4c (<6nm of coast, outside nursery areas) Otter trawls 80-99mm TR2  
Survivability exemption for by-catch of all species subject to catch limits in pots and fyke nets NS High survivability All Species 4 Pots and fyke nets N/A FPO, FYK  
Survivability exemption for catch and by-catch of plaice. (From January, the current exemption for plaice in article 6(1)(c) and 6(2)(b) of the 2020 version of the NS delegated act will have expired. They will be replaced by: ‘plaice caught with trawls (OTB, PTB) with a mesh size of at least 80mm targeting flatfish or roundfish in the United Kingdom waters of ICES subarea 4’. NS High survivability Plaice 4 OTB, PTB trawls ≥80mm TR1 and TR2  
(Same as high survivability above) NS High survivability Plaice 4 Danish Seines All mesh sizes SDN  
Survivability exemption for plaice below the minimum conservation reference size NS High survivability Plaice 2a and 4 BT2 beam trawls with flip up or benthic release 80-119 mm BT2    
Survivability exemption for plaice below the minimum conservation reference size NS High survivability Plaice 2a and 4 BT2 beam trawls within 12 nm and tow <90 mins 80-119 mm BT2    
Survivability exemption for turbot NS High survivability Turbot 4 Beam trawls >80mm BT1 and BT2  
Survivability exemption for skates and rays NS High survivability Skates and Rays 2a and 4 All gear types All mesh sizes All fleets  
De minimis exemption for sole NS De minimis Sole 2a and 4 Trammels and Gill nets All mesh sizes Trammels and Gill nets    
De minimis exemption for sole NS De minimis Sole 4 Beam trawls with Flemish Panel 80-119 mm BT2    
De minimis exemption for whiting and cod NS De minimis whiting and cod<MCRS 4c Trawls and seines OTB, OTT, SDN, SSC 70-99mm TR2  
De minimis exemption for whiting and cod NS De minimis whiting and cod <MCRS 4a and b Trawls and seines OTB, OTT, SDN, SSC 70-99mm TR2    
De minimis exemption for undersized whiting NS De minimis Whiting <MCRS 4 Beam trawls 80-119mm BT2  
De minimis exemption for undersized plaice NS De minimis Plaice <MCRS 4 Nephrops trawls 80-99mm with SEPNEP TR2 with SepNep  
De minimis exemption for brown shrimp NS De minimis All Species 4b and 4c Brown shrimp beam trawls All mesh sizes BT1 and BT2
De minimis exemption for horse mackerel NS De minimis horse mackerel 4 Bottom trawls (OTB, OTT, PTB, TBB) 80-99mm TR2  
De minimis exemption for mackerel NS De minimis mackerel 4 Bottom trawls (OTB, OTT, PTB, TBB) 80-99mm TR3  
De minimis exemption for sprat, sandeel, norway pout and blue whiting NS De minimis combined sprat, sandeel, norway pout and blue whiting 4 Trawls and seines (OTB OTM OTT PTB PTM SDN SPR SSC TB TBN) >80mm (Northern Prawn fishery + also selectivity devices) TR1 and TR2  
De minimis for ling NS De minimis Ling <MCRS 4 Long lines LLS LLS  

Updates to this page

Published 6 January 2021
Last updated 21 July 2021 + show all updates
  1. North Sea update

  2. PDF update

  3. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page