Isle of Man Sea Fishing Licence

The Isle of Man Sea Fishing Licence may change from time to time, and it is the responsibility of the owner and master to be aware of changes. Changes to the licence are communicated through Notice to Owners and Masters. 

NTOM 08.04.24

The IOM SFL Conditions (Section G) does not vary by Vessel Administration (Nationality), however they may vary by Licence Category (A, B, C, etc.).

The IOM SFL Conditions includes two Parts;

• Part I mirrors relevant parts of a vessels UK Licence, and
• Part II specifies additional conditions applied by the Department.

Conditions (Section G) Part I and II

• Category A (Over 10m)
• Category B (Over 10m)
• Category C (Over 10m)
• Category A (Under 10m)
• Category A (Pelagic)
• Over 10 (Scotland)
• Under 10 (Scotland)
  
  

The IOM SFL Schedule (Section H) does not vary by Vessel Administration (Nationality), however they may vary by Licence Category (A, B, C, etc.).

The IOM SFL Schedule includes two Parts;

• Part I mirrors relevant parts of a vessels UK Licence, and
• Part II specifies additional conditions applied by the Department.

Schedule (Section H) Part I and II

• Category A (Over 10m)
• Category B (Over 10m)
• Category C (Over 10m)
• Category A (Under 10m)
• Category A (Pelagic)
• Over 10 (Scotland)
• Under 10 (Scotland)
  
  
  

The Annexe (Section I) is made up of three Parts, including;

• Part I (Species for which you may not fish)
• Part II (British Catch Quota Limits), and
• Part III (Extent and Nature of Authorised activity for Specific Fisheries).

Parts I and II of the Annexe may vary by Vessel Administration (Nationality), Category, and Sectoral affiliation (Licence Type). Parts I and II of the Annexe are available to download in the table below. Owners and Masters must consider the Licence Category and Sectoral Affiliation of their vessel and ensure they download and refer to the correct documents.

Part III applies to all British vessels (Manx, English, Scottish, Northern Irish, and Welsh). Licence holders are required to have all three parts of the Annexe.

The Annexe (Section I) is made up of three Parts, including;

• Part I (Species for which you may not fish)
• Part II (British Catch Quota Limits), and
• Part III (Extent and Nature of Authorised activity for Specific Fisheries).

Parts I and II of the Annexe may vary by Vessel Administration (Nationality), Category, and Sectoral affiliation (Licence Type). Parts I and II of the Annexe are available to download in the table below. Owners and Masters must consider the Licence Category and Sectoral Affiliation of their vessel and ensure they download and refer to the correct documents.

Part III applies to all British vessels (Manx, English, Scottish, Northern Irish, and Welsh). Licence holders are required to have all three parts of the Annexe.

The Glossary of Terms (Section J) is identical across all licences irrespective of a Vessels Nationality, Licence Category and Sectoral Affiliation. 

All IOM SFLs

• Glossary of Terms (Section J)

The Legislation Index (Section K) is identical across all licences irrespective of a Vessels Nationality, Licence Category and Sectoral Affiliation.

All IOM SFLs

• Legislation Index (Section K)

Links to Licence documents that have been replaced by 'live' documents

NTOM 03.04.23

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NTOM 26.05.23

NTOM 01.06.23

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NTOM 28.12.23

NTOM 02.01.24

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The Department operates within the UK Fishing Vessel Licensing Scheme. As such, the IOM SFL shall reflect the same details and authority as a sea fishing licence issued to a vessel by a UK Fisheries Administration, subject to any additional conditions (including restrictions and limitations to the authority of the licence) applied by the Department.

The IOM SFL therefore depends on the size of your vessel and the “category” that the vessel’s fishing activities fall into. Vessels are divided into two groups for licensing purposes - those that are:

• 10 metres and under in overall length “(Under 10)”
• over 10 metres in overall length “(Over 10)”

The three main Licence Categories are:

Category A – which includes several sub-Categories;

• (Over 10) – authorises vessels to fish for all stocks subject to British Catch Quota, and up to a restricted tonnage level for combined pelagic stocks
• (Under 10) – authorises vessels to fish for all stocks subject to British Catch Quota.
• (Pelagic) – issued to pelagic trawlers, pursers and freezers, and authorises vessels to fish for all stocks subject to British Catch Quota and to fish without restriction for pelagic stocks.
• (Islands) – issued to vessels registered in Jersey and authorises fishing for all stocks subject to UK Catch Quota in ICES Sub-Area VII.

Category B (Over 10 only)

This authorises over-10-metre vessels to fish for a restricted range of stocks subject to British Catch Quota, and up to a restricted tonnage level for combined pelagic stocks.

Stocks subject to British Catch Quota that Category B licences are not authorised to fish for in the Isle of Man territorial sea were previously known as ‘pressure stocks’ and includes;

Category C (Over 10 only)

This authorises over-10-metres to fish for a very limited number of stocks subject to British Catch Quota, and up to a restricted tonnage level for combined pelagic stocks.

Stocks that Category B licences are notauthorised to fish for in the Isle of Man territorial sea were previously known as ‘pressure stocks’ and ‘non-pressure stocks’, which includes allstocks subject to British Catch Quotas except Western horse mackerel (“HOM”).

Scottish Over-10 metre “Single Licence” Category

In 2017, Marine Scotland created a single licence category for the over-10 metre fleet segment in Scotland. This Licence Category is equivalent to a Category A licence elsewhere in the UK and is treated as such within the Isle of Man’s licensing framework.

Requirement to carry an Isle of Man sea fishing licence

As a condition of the licence, the master of the vessel is required to carry and produce their licence on demand within the Isle of Man territorial sea. The Department will accept either electronic or hard copies to be carried onboard and produced to Fisheries Enforcement Officers.

A valid Isle of Man sea fishing licence is required to fish in the Isle of Man territorial sea. A licence fee is charged.

To make application you must have a vessel registered in the Isle of Man under the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1991, or in the United Kingdom or Channel Islands under equivalent legislation, which holds a valid UK fishing vessel licence.

You can download the application form below:

• 2024/25 Digital fillable version Isle of Man sea fishing licence application form
• 2024/25 Paper version Isle of Man sea fishing licence application form

While we aim to process your application within 10 working days of receipt of a completed application, it may take up to 20 working days to issue an Isle of Man Sea Fishing Licence.

In 2022, the Department undertook a review of the Isle of Man sea fishing licence. The aim of this exercise was to ensure that the rules that apply within the Isle of Man territorial sea are coherent with the rules applied within UK waters.

As a result, the Department made changes to the structure of the Isle of Man sea fishing licence, and created additional parts to adopt the rules and requirements that exist within a vessels UK licence that were considered applicable to the Isle of Man. These changes came into effect from 01 April 2023.

The changes strengthen the coherent approach to fisheries management in British waters, and provide greater clarity for vessels fishing within the Isle of Man territorial sea.

If you have any queries relating to these changes, please contact the Department at fisheries@gov.im or by telephone on +44 1624 685857.