Sea fisheries

Guidance and services

• Wellbeing support for commercial fishermen and families
  It is important that everyone takes care of their personal wellbeing. You can get support and advice from the following organisations.
• Support for marine businesses and investors
  Get help to start or grow your marine business.
• Application form for fishing exemptions
  Complete this form if you need an exemption for otherwise prohibited fishing activities.
• Apply to fish for bivalve molluscan shellfish using a dredge (Byelaw 12)
  Complete this form to request authorisation to fish for king scallops in north Wales.
• Apply to fish for bivalve molluscan shellfish (Byelaw 40)
  Complete this form to request authorisation to fish for king scallops in south Wales.
• Fisheries: preparing for 1 January 2021
  The steps you must take if you want to ensure your business can continue to trade in Europe after 1 January 2021.
• Catch recording: frequently asked questions
  Includes how to register for and access the catch recording system, and what to record on it.
• Inshore fishery legislation: definitions of North and North West inshore district byelaws
  Text copy of the byelaws of the former North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee as at 12 September 2011.
• South Wales inshore fishery legislation
  Describes the area covered in South Wales and the byelaws that apply.
• Apply to fish for lobster, crawfish, crab, prawn and whelk (Byelaw 30) for recreation
  Complete this form to apply for a permit to fish for lobster, crawfish, crab, prawn and whelk as a recreation.
• Legislation for crustacean fisheries
  Includes information on minimum catch sizes and what you cannot take from our seas.
• Commercial fishers to report mortality and injury (bycatch) of marine mammals
  Incidental mortality and injury (“bycatch”) in fisheries is a threat to the conservation and welfare of marine mammals.
• Landing obligation (discard ban)
  Guidance on the landing obligation, how the rules apply, and the management of "waste" fish.
• Registered buyers and sellers of fish and shellfish
  If you buy fish or shellfish direct from a fisherman, you must be registered as a ‘buyer of first sale fish’.
• Fishing vessel licences
  View your fishing vessel licence documents.
• Fishing vessel logbook: guidance
  How to complete your fishing vessel electronic or paper logbook, answers to common questions.
• Fishing licence documents for commercial fishing vessels
  You can view the fishing vessel licence documents which apply to your vessel.
• Common Fisheries Policy
  The Common Fisheries Policy is a set of rules to manage the EU fishing fleets and conserve fish stocks.
• Fishing for whelks: guidance, permits and legislation
  How we are managing the whelk fishery in the Welsh zone.
• Whelk fishery
  How we are managing the whelk fishery in the Welsh zone.
• Wales Whelk Advisory Group
  Helping us to manage our whelk fishery.
• Fisheries offences: financial administrative penalties guidance
  This guidance came into force in April 2021.
• Complete transport documents for fisheries products
  Guidance and forms to complete for transporting fish away from where they are landed.
• Report tagged rays and skates
  Have you seen any tagged rays and skates around North Wales?
• Scallop dredge: catch return form (byelaw 12)
  Use this form to declare any catches of king scallops.
• Scallop dredge: catch return form (byelaw 40)
  Use this form to declare any catches of king scallops.
• Bass fishing: 2023 guidance
  The catch, retention, transhipment and landing of bass is subject to restrictions.
• Minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) of sea bass
  The regulations that prohibit the fishing and landing of sea bass if their size is below 42cm.
• Small Scale Coastal Infrastructure Scheme
  Financial support for capital investments into the improvement of harbours and ports.
• Apply for the Welsh Fisheries Grant
  Find out if you are eligible and apply for the Welsh Fisheries Grant.
• Apply for the Seafood Resilience Scheme: Welsh Aquaculture and Welsh Fisheries
  Find out if you are eligible and apply for the Seafood Resilience Scheme.
• Inshore vessel monitoring systems
  Guidance and privacy notices for Wales Inshore Vessel Monitoring Systems (iVMS).
• Fishing quota management
  Guidance on the management of fishing quotas.
• Joint Fisheries Statement
  Sets the high-level, strategic direction for fisheries management in the UK over the coming years.
• Wales Coasts and Seas Partnership (CaSP Cymru)
  The Wales Coasts and Seas Partnership (CaSP Cymru) involves a range of stakeholders working to improve marine resilience in Wales (formerly Wales Marine Action and Advisory Group). 

Policy and background Includes strategy, reports, projects and assessments.

• Assessment of the potential for aquaculture
  Report
  Study identifying coastal and marine areas suitable for future aquaculture developments.
• Introduction of catch recording for licensed fishing boats under 10 metres in length
  Policy and strategy
  Catch recording requirements will be introduced on 28 February 2020.
• Roundtable Wales (group advising on rural affairs and Brexit)
  Policy and strategy
  Stakeholders from across the rural sector looking at the effects of the EU exit.
• Scallop dredging in Cardigan Bay
  Collection
  Reviews of the scientific study and responses to the consultation.
• The Menai Strait (East) Mussel and Oyster Fishery Order 2022: integrated impact assessment
  Impact assessment
  Our integrated impact assessment for the granting of the Menai Strait (East) fishery order. Includes Welsh language and children’s rights assessments.
• The Sea Fishing Operations (Monitoring Devices)(Wales) Order 2022: integrated impact assessment
  Impact assessment
  Our impact assessment into the use of inshore vessel monitoring systems for commercial fishing vessels under 12m.
• Assessing Welsh Fisheries Activities project: trammel nets
  Report
  The impact of fishing with fixed trammel nets on a designated species.
• Assessing Welsh Fisheries Activities project: entangling nets
  Report
  The impact of fishing with fixed entangling nets on a designated species.
• Assessing Welsh Fisheries Activities project: towed dredges
  Report
  The impact of fishing with towed dredges on the features of Marine Protected Areas.
• Assessing Welsh Fisheries Activities project: pots and traps
  Report
  The impact of fishing with pots and traps on the features of Marine Protected Areas.
• Assessing Welsh Fisheries Activities project: demersal trawls
  Report
  The impact of fishing with trawl gear on the features of Marine Protected Areas.
• Assessing Welsh Fisheries Activities project: gill nets
  Report
  The impact of fishing with fixed gill nets on a designated species.
• Wales Whelk Advisory Group meeting: 7 September 2022
  Meeting
  Wales Whelk Advisory Group (WWAG)
  Note of the inaugural meeting held virtually on Wednesday 7 September 2022.
• Wales Whelk Advisory Group meeting: 2 November 2022
  Meeting
  Wales Whelk Advisory Group (WWAG)
  Notes of meeting held virtually on Wednesday, 2 November 2022, 4pm to 5pm.