Marine and fisheries compliance: list of fixed penalty notices

Fixed penalty notices issued in 2026

Explanatory notes

1. Statutory returns offences:

Offences involving the obligation to submit accurate information such as, but not exclusively:

• Fishing Logbooks – (detailing fishing activity both paper and electronic format)
• FISH1 forms - (Landing declaration from vessels under 10 metres overall length detailing catches of all species)
• Buyers Sales Notes – (Purchases of first sale fish by registered buyers)
• Landing Declaration – (Detailing actual landings made for a voyage vessel over 10m (or under 10m where vessel is in membership of a Producer Organisation)

2. Fishing gear offences:

Offences involving fishing gear construction or use, such as, but not exclusively:

• Fishing with multiple trawls (where prohibited)
• Excess Dredges
• Fishing with illegal attachments – (reducing or otherwise restricting mesh sizes)
• Fishing with gear constructed with a mesh size below that of the required area
• Fishing without a Square Mesh Panel or with a non-compliant Square Mesh Panel.
• Incorrect twine thickness
• Carriage of demersal gear in different size bands (for example 70-99mm, 100-119mm and 120mm+)
• Other Incorrect construction – (for example “Ballooning” cod-end, length or circumference of net)

3. Fishing without authority:

Vessels fishing in areas without, or out-with the conditions of a fishing vessel licence

• Fishing in UK territorial waters (within 12 miles) – Non UK vessels
• Fishing in UK waters (EEZ) without a licence – Non UK vessels
• Targeting restricted/prohibited species without a permit
• IUU (Illegal Unreported Unregulated offences) – Retained EU Regulation (1010/2005)
• Fishing in external waters without SIA (Single Issuing Authority) Licence – UK vessel
• Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) area offences

4. MPA and other protected/restricted are offences:

Offences relating to fishing activities of fishing vessels within a restricted area.

• Vessels fishing within prohibited/restricted areas – (Including Marine Protected Areas, Historic Marine Protected Areas, Protected Areas created under authority of the Inshore Fishing (Scotland) act 1984, Seasonal Closures, other defined areas where specific fishing restrictions/prohibitions exist.)
• Failing to report in when transiting restricted area below 6 knots (that requires a report to be made.)
• Failure to have lashed and stowed, gear while transiting a restricted area (that requires gear to be stowed as such.)

5. Marine licensing

Offences where a breach of licence or no licence held for a licensable activity such as but not exclusively:

• Unlicensed Marine works
• Depositing or taking material from the sea
• Illegal use of Acoustic Deterrent Devices
• Failure to follow a remediation or other notice.

6. Wildlife crime

Offences involving wildlife such as but not exclusively:

• Unlicensed, or not in accordance with a licence, shooting of Seals
• Disturbing protected species dolphins, whales and porpoises

7. Unlicensed/Hobby fishing:

Offences by unlicensed “Hobby” fishermen (non-commercial fisheries) both from a vessel and ashore (bass fishing)

• Exceeding daily shellfish catch limit for an unlicensed vessel
• Failure to correctly mark fishing gear
• Breach of non-licensed Sea Bass fishing restrictions – (ashore and afloat)

8. Landing obligation:

• Failure to retain on-board, land and/or record all species subject to landing obligation.
• Failure to record any discards.

9. Vessel tracking requirements:

Breach of Satellite tracking requirements for fishing vessels over 12 metres (not AIS)

• Vessel Monitoring System/Device non-compliance
• Tampering with a Vessel Monitoring System/Device

10. Gear marking requirements:

Breach of static gear marking requirements from licensed fishing vessels including:

• Incorrectly marked gear (buoys/lights/flags)
• Failure to mark vessel Identification on static gear

11. Illegal equipment:

Carriage or deployment of gear/equipment not permitted by legislation/licence condition such as, but not exclusively:

• Gear capable of transmitting electrical currents to the seabed.
• Explosives
• Automatic Graders

12.  Other fishing licence restrictions:

Breaches of fishing licence conditions not elsewhere classified

• Any failure to comply with a fishing vessel licence condition not covered by another category

13.  Boarding Ladders/failure to provide safe access:

Failure to provide British Sea Fisheries Officers with safe access to a fishing vessel such as, but not exclusively:

• Failure to provide a safe boarding ladder
• Failure to facilitate safe and effective boarding
• Failure to alert officials to particular safety hazards

14. Undersized or prohibited fish/shellfish:

Retention and landing of species below minimum conservation reference size not subject to the Landing Obligation

• Retention of shellfish  below Minimum Conservation Reference Size
• Landing of prohibited species
• Retention of excess Crab Claws

15. Other offences – not elsewhere classified:

Any other offence not classified above – This will be reviewed annually and where appropriate a new classification will be created for publishing.