Fishing vessel weekly licence variations 31 October 2025

The edible crab effort days for AO vessels in Area VII remains at 220 days.

Producer Organisation/Non-Producer Organisation Group	Type of Licence	Reason	Species	Area of Sea	Limit	Effective Date
ALL over 15m vessels	AO	Effort days	Edible crab (Cancer pagurus)	VII	220 days	0001 hours on 01 November 2025

Fishing vessel quota limits tables: 2025 - showing the quota limits applicable to 10m and under and over 10m non-sector vessels.

Fisheries closures table: 2025 - showing all fisheries closures, by group, for Scottish fishing licences.

Important ‘Fish, Trace, Ship’ update – Seafood export changes  

Further updates are being introduced shortly to the Fish Export Service (FES). These updates will help to meet new requirements being introduced by the EU that will require exporters to provide additional information for seafood leaving the UK from 10 January 2026. You will also receive another version of this letter if you are a registered FES user.  

These changes are likely to affect you if the fish you land is exported from the UK. You can minimise any impacts to the supply chain by familiarising yourself with these changes and providing the required information to your buyer.  

What is changing

In July, we informed you about changes to Catch Certificates including the need to input the start date of the fishing trip and all transport documentation, into FES.

In September, we gave you a further update which required the need to include gear type used and fishing area information.

New: Shortly, we will be introducing the Non-Manipulation Document which will affect some sections of the supply chain. This will replace the Storage Document and will feature a new template.

New: The definition and criteria for Processing Statements is also changing and could impact far more of the supply chain than before.

Further details about this change and all the other changes are available online at our new Fish, Trace, Ship information site .

What you need to do

Please remember #FishTraceShip and get onboard with the changes. By familiarising yourself early, you can support your buyer. Even if you don’t export directly yourself, these changes may affect you as without the additional information, you may not be able to sell your produce. 

Get involved

We are also looking for fishers, merchants and exporters to join our research panel to help us design and implement the updates to FES. Access the sign-up form.

Unsubscribe  

If you don’t want to hear more about FES, please email UKIUUSLO@marinemanagement.org.uk to be removed from future mailings. 

September 2025 change  

In September, further new fields relating to gear type used and area of catch, were introduced. These fields are also optional until 10 January 2026 when they will become mandatory to meet EU requirements. This means that to create a Catch Certificate, users will be required to enter the gear type used and area of catch. 

Prior to January 2026, any information entered in the optional fields on the catch certificate will be stored securely but will not be recorded on the final PDF certificates during this period. You should continue to check that all information is accurate and up to date on your application before submission.

We are urging everyone in the supply chain to begin adopting these changes as soon as possible so that you have time to familiarise and make any necessary adjustments to meet the new requirements. 

 2)  What is changing – Processing Statement

The EU have changed the circumstances when an export needs to be accompanied by a Processing Statement.  This requirement currently only applies to seafood caught by non-UK vessels and processed in the UK prior to export.

Whilst a Processing Statement is not something a fisher would need, it is important you are aware of this change within your supply chain.

NEW: From 10 January 2026, the requirement for a Processing Statement will also apply to seafood caught by UK vessels and processed in the UK before export.  

‘Processed’ means any seafood that has been cut, filleted, canned, smoked, salted, cooked, pickled, dried, or otherwise prepared for market. Fish which has only been frozen and/or packed will not require a Processing Statement. 

This requirement is outlined in the EU’s official guidance. For further information please see questions 57 and 59 of the EU Frequently Asked Questions . 

Action: Act Now! Get on Board! 

Start adopting the new changes early. The new EU requirements do not come into force until 10 January 2026. However, all UK fishing authorities strongly advise you to familiarise yourself with the changes as they roll out and start to provide the relevant information to your buyers when selling your produce. This will help minimise disruption to your business and keep exports moving. 

How we are supporting you 

UK fishing authorities have published new guidance explaining these changes.

We have published some FAQs  Frequently asked questions (FAQs) - Fish, Trace, Ship to help you understand what you need to do and why.

This autumn we are holding a series of online webinars for you to attend to learn more about the new changes. The first of these will be on October 22.    

You can help shape the service changes by getting involved in our user research testing. We are also looking for fishers, merchants and exporters to join the design process. Access the sign-up form.

Please remember #FishTraceShip and get onboard with the changes. 

Notice to fishers

New Offshore MPA Fisheries measures – effective 16 October 2025

A reminder that The Offshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2025 is scheduled to come into force Thursday 16 October 2025.  

This Order introduces fisheries management measures for 20 offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect sensitive habitats and species.  

Measures are site specific and include:  

• full-site and zonal restrictions  

• restrictions on the use of certain fishing gear types in designated areas 

• vessels are not prohibited to go at speeds of less than 6 knots within restricted areas. 

Enforcement 

Suspected incursions within any of the areas as detailed within SSI 2025/240 will be investigated by Marine Directorate and subsequently Enforcement Action may be taken on any fishing vessel not authorised to fish in these areas commencing from 16th October 2025.  

To support implementation, we've published: 

• a guidance document with maps, gear codes, and coordinates 

• the Scottish Government’s response to the consultation 

• updated conservation advice from JNCC for two sites 

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to review these materials and share with your members and others who may be affected or interested. 

If you have any questions, please get in touch at Marine_Biodiversity@gov.scot