Quota
Quota Management
This page describes how the Department applies quota-limits to the management of commercial sea fisheries in the territorial waters of the Isle of Man, and answers some frequently asked questions.
What is Quota?
Quota is a tool that is applied by the Department to ensure that commercial sea fishing activities are regulated within sustainable limits. The Fisheries Act 2012 allows the Department to impose quotas either through regulations or as a condition of the Isle of Man sea fishing licence.
Quota generally can refer to either;
- Catch Quota means a restriction on the total quantity of fish/shellfish that can be caught. Catch Quota is sometimes referred to as an ‘output control’
- Effort Quota means a restriction on the amount of time or fishing operations that a vessel can exert in a fishery. Effort Quota is sometimes referred to as an ‘input control’.
The Department applies Catch Quota and/or Effort Quota in a number of commercial fisheries in the territorial waters of the Island.
How is Quota Determined?
Quota limits are determined following the receipt of advice based upon the best available scientific evidence. In some instances, the Department may apply a ‘precautionary approach’ to setting quota limits where there is a degree of uncertainty in the estimation of sustainable catch/effort limits, or where there is no advice available.
Advice may come from a number of sources, including the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas, the Department’s Independent Science Advisors, and/or through co-management forums.
“British Quota” and “Manx Quota”
Within the Island’s territorial waters, quota limits fall into one of two categories;
- British Quota means catch/effort quota that is determined by the UK Secretary of State for stocks of fish and shellfish that are subject to international negotiations and agreements.
These stocks are commonly known as ‘quota stocks’ and were subject to input and output control under the EU Common Fisheries Policy. As an Independent Coastal State, the UK Government continues to establish quotas for these stocks in accordance the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
- Manx Quota means catch/effort quota that is determined by the Department for stocks of fish/shellfish that are not subject to international negotiations and agreements.
In the UK, these are referred to as ‘non-quota stocks’ as the UK Government does not generally apply input/output controls. The Department applies these quotas unilaterally.
Why doesn’t DEFA set all quotas in the territorial sea?
The Isle of Man is an autonomous British fisheries jurisdiction. The powers to impose quota limits on any vessel operating within the Island’s territorial waters are vested exclusively within the Department.
However, the Isle of Man recognises that in order to ensure a sustainable and cohesive approach to fisheries management within British Fishery Limits (i.e. UK and Crown Dependency waters), the Department must play it’s part in ensuring quota limits determined by the UK Government following international negotiations are not exceeded.
Therefore, as a general approach, the Department will bring British Quota limits into effect within the Island’s territorial waters in a way that integrates with the UK Government’s quota policies. In effect, this means that any quota limits that are prescribed in a licence issued by a UK Fisheries Authority will be replicated in the Isle of Man sea fishing licence issued by the Department.
Importantly, the quota-limits prescribed in the Isle of Man sea fishing licence apply concurrently with, and not in addition, quota limits that are prescribed in a vessels UK licence. This means that fishing opportunities are not ‘duplicated’, but simply extended to the Island’s territorial waters.
How is British Quota Apportioned and Allocated?
The determination of British Quota is a ‘reserved function’ under the UK Fisheries Framework, meaning it is the responsibility for the UK Secretary of State and is not a ‘devolved’ responsibility.
However, before making a determination of fishing opportunities, the UK Secretary of State must consult with the Devolved Fisheries Authorities and the Marine Management Organisation.
Apportionment
Following UK-level consultation and the UK Secretary of State determination, British Quota is then apportioned into 4 National pots;
- the Scottish apportionment is administered by Marine Scotland
- the Welsh apportionment is administered by Welsh Ministers
- the Northern Irish apportionment is administered by the Northern Ireland Executive
- the English and Crown Dependency apportionment is administered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).
The methodology used to determine the apportionment of British Quota into the four national pots is set out within the UK Quota Management Rules.
It is the responsibility for each of the 4 UK Devolved Fisheries Authorities to determine how their apportionment is then distributed (allocated) and managed.
The Isle of Man is not directly apportioned British Quota by the UK Secretary of State. Instead, the MMO is responsible for English and Crown Dependency quota management, including allocation and management.
Allocation
Each of the UK Devolved Fisheries Authorities will publish their own Quota Management Rules, which set out their approach to allocating their quota to vessels in the administration:
- English (incl. Crown Dependency) Quota Management Rules
- Scottish Quota Management Rules
- Northern Irish Quota Management Rules
- Welsh Quota Management Rules
The UK Devolved Fisheries Authorities use a combination of arrangements and tools in their approach to allocating and managing their quotas. Generally speaking, quota is sub-divided into two pots called “Sector” and “Non-Sector”.
The “Sector” is a term used to describe groups of individuals who combine their quota allocations and have responsibilities for their management and administrations. The “Sector” can be either Producer Organisations or Quota Management Groups. In the Isle of Man, the Manx Fish Producers Organisation is treated like a Sectoral Group under MMO Administration. The share of quota a particular Sectoral Group is allocated generally depends upon the number of Fixed Quota Allocation Units (FQAs) that the organisation and its members hold. You can learn more about FQAs on the UK FQA Register.
The “Non-Sector” is a term used to describe vessels who are not attributed to a particular group. Their quota is managed and administered directly by their National fisheries authority, generally under a pooled access arrangement. Some vessels registered in the Isle of Man are part of the MMO (English and CD) Non-Sector.
How does DEFA apply British Quota limits?
British Catch Quota limits are prescribed in Part II of the Annexe (Section I) to the Isle of Man sea fishing licence. This section of the licence is different for vessels of different nationality and sectoral affiliation.
The Department applies British Effort Quota limits, known as the Western Waters Effort Regime, to over-15m vessels fishing for king scallop, queen scallop, and edible crab in Part 1 of the Schedule (Section H) of the Isle of Man sea fishing licence.
Landings Obligation
The Landing Obligation (LO) means that certain catches of fish that are subject to British Catch Quota limits are no longer allowed to be discarded at sea; it is the correct term for the ‘discard ban’.
The LO came into effect for all fisheries in 2019 and will affect all fishing vessels operating in Isle of Man territorial waters.
The LO applies to all stocks subject to British Quota limits that are caught either as a result of a targeted fishery or as incidental by-catch in another fishery.
There are some exemptions to the LO. You can find more information on the LO by downloading the Q & A document and Guidance Note on this page.
EU-Exit & Additional British Quota
As a result of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation, the UK’s share of Quota for stocks that are subject to international agreements is increasing over the period 2021-2026 compared to when the UK was a member of the European Union. The share increases are set out in Annexe 35 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
The UK Government considers this British Quota as “Additional Quota” (AQ), and is treated separately to “Existing Quota” (EQ) that was held by the UK whilst it was subject to the EU Common Fisheries Policy.
The UK Government has consulted publicly on how to apportion and allocate AQ on a different basis following the UKs departure from the EU. You can see the UK Government’s consultations here:
- 2022: UK Consultation on Managing Quota in 2023 and Beyond
- 2020: Apportioning additional quota between the UK administrations: UK and the Crown Dependencies
- 2020: Quota allocation and management in 2021 and beyond: England and the Crown Dependencies
- 2019: Developing a new approach for allocating additional fishing quota in England
Some of the UK’s AQ is for stocks that are present or transient in the territorial waters of the Island. The Department has therefore submitted a response to each of these consultations.
Manx Quota
The Department currently applies Manx quota to four commercial fisheries within the territorial waters of the Island;
- King Scallop (Catch Quota)
- Queen Scallop (Catch Quota)
- Crab & Lobster (Effort Quota in the form of pot-limits)
- Whelk (Effort Quota in the form of pot-limits).
The Department does not currently have a policy that sets out an apportionment and allocation process for Manx catch quota. Instead, the Department operates Manx quota in a similar way to the UK’s non-sector pooled system, whereby all vessels who are authorised to participate in the fishery are prescribed quota-limits on their Isle of Man sea fishing licence (either weekly or daily catch limits), and quota-uptake is monitored by the Department against the Total Allowable Catch.
In terms of Manx Effort Quota (pot-limits), pot-limits are currently allocated to vessels on the basis of historic allocations under the Specific Fishery Authorisation policy.
How does DEFA apply Manx Quota limits?
Manx Catch Quota limits are prescribed in Part III of the Annexe (Section I) to the Isle of Man sea fishing licence. Note that vessels cannot fish against Manx Catch Quota unless explicitly authorised in Section C of the licence.
Manx Effort Quota (pot) limits are prescribed in Section C of the Isle of Man sea fishing licence and is allocated on a vessel-by-vessel basis.
