Manage and lease fishing quota
How you can manage, allocate, swap, transfer or lease fishing quotas.
How we manage fisheries quota
The Secretary of State determines fishing opportunities for British fishing vessels via the setting of maximum limits that can be caught for some stocks, these are known as quota limits.
Quota is divided between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
All UK vessels are subject to detailed quota management rules, which are updated each year. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for managing England’s fishing quotas and publishes specific English quota management rules for English vessels.
MMO monitors landings of quota stocks and compares the amount caught and landed against total quota allocation. This is used to inform decisions about quota swaps, changes to catch limits and closing fisheries.
Quota allocations
MMO divides up England’s fishing quotas across the 3 fishing industry groups:
- sector – fish producer organisations that manage quota for their members
- 10-metres-and-under pool – vessels 10 metres or under that are not members of a producer organisation
- non-sector – vessels over 10 metres that are not members of a producer organisations
The number of fixed quota allocation (FQA) units held by the individual vessels in each group, or by a group collectively, establishes what proportion of the quota is allocated to each group.
The quota assigned to the non-sector and 10-metre-and-under pools may be adjusted in line with underpinning arrangements – this is where there are guaranteed minimum levels of allocated quota. The minimum level for each stock will be a percentage of the UK quota equal to the average percentage share of initial allocations made to the 10-metres-and-under fleet from 1991 to 1993.
For vessels over 10 metres, FQA units are associated with the licence of the vessel. For vessels 10 metres and under, FQA units are held centrally by MMO.
FQA units
It is important that you are clear about your own FQA units and those associated with any licence or licence entitlement you buy. Statements of the FQA units associated with individual licences are issued to licence holders each year, usually in May. As the holder of a licence you can request details of the FQA units associated with your licence at any time from MMO.
You can:
- transfer FQA units from a licence entitlement
- apply for a replacement FQA holding statement
Read more about FQA units and get the application forms.
Quota management in the non-sector <10m and >10m pools
Vessels that do not have their quota managed by a Producer Organisation are managed by the MMO via catch limits. Catch limits are set predominantly monthly but are also set weekly or quarterly for some stocks. Vessels are categorised by length; either over or under-10m and all vessels within each length category are bound by the same catch limits. Quota management in the non sector pages provide further information.
If a vessel wishes to join the Over-10m Non-sector pool the MMO reserves the right to require that vessel’s licence to bring with it FQA units appropriate to the planned fishing area and gear or equivalent to the English non-sector catch limits in the previous full quota year, as per the English quota management rules
Quota swaps
Producer organisations can swap quota with other groups within the UK and MMO approves these swaps. The PO submits the Domestic Quota Swap Form to quotaswap.dqs@marinemanagement.org.uk MMO negotiates quota swaps with other EU member states.
Leasing extra quota
You can apply to lease extra quota from a producer organisation (PO), to supplement your catch limits or to keep fishing a stock where the 10-metres-and-under or non-sector pool allocation has been used.
Updates to this page
Last updated 14 January 2020 + show all updates
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Text and attachment updated
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Details on page updated
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Page text amended
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Documents updated
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2015 Leasing Letter template updated
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2015 example letter added
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2015 Fishing opportunities Total Allowable Catches tables added
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First published.