ANNEX F -THE BASICS OF FISHERIES QUOTA MANAGEMENT
What is the purpose of fisheries quotas?
Quotas are set to help achieve the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy for the conservation and sustainable management of fish stocks. Member States are responsible for ensuring that landings by their fishing fleets do not exceed their quotas. Because over fishing of quotas can endanger stocks, the EU deducts quota from any Member State which over fishes and may also bring legal proceedings, with the possibility of substantial fines.
Where does the UK get its quotas from?
In December each year, the EU Council of Fisheries Ministers sets "Total Allowable Catches" ( TACs) for various fish stocks (usually defined by species and sea area - e.g. North Sea cod). In setting these TACs, account is taken of various factors, including the latest scientific advice on the condition of the stocks. Each year Member States receive a fixed percentage shares of these TACs, based on historic fishing activity: this is known as the principle of "relative stability" between Member States.
How is quota made available to the UK fishing industry?
Fisheries Administrations in the UK discuss quota management arrangements annually with fishing industry representatives. These are then embodied in quota management Rules.
Under the present management arrangements, quotas are shared out - or "allocated" - to the following groups:
- Individual fish producer organisations ( POs) or other groups - who manage quota for the vessels in their membership. These groups collectively are sometimes described as "the sector";
- The "non-sector" - a group comprising all those vessels over 10 metres in length which are not fishing against quota allocations managed by POs; and
- The under 10 metre fleet, comprising those vessels of 10 metres and under in length which are not fishing against quota allocations managed by POs.
What are these groups' quota allocations based on?
Quota allocations to all these groups are based on the "fixed quota allocation units" ( FQAs) associated with the licences of individual vessels in membership of each group as at 1 January, or by a group collectively. These FQA units were themselves originally based on vessels' historic landings ("track record") during a fixed reference period (1994 - 1996 for most stocks). Each group's share of the total quota for a particular stock is based primarily on that group's share of the total FQA units for that stock which are held by the fleet as a whole.
Quota allocations are issued by Fisheries Administrations to the groups listed above, not to individual fishermen. FQA units are not therefore allocations of quota from Administrations to the vessels in question.
For most 10 metre and under fisheries (as well as some non-sector ones), a system of "underpinning" applies. This involves "topping up" the allocations for these groups to a guaranteed minimum level if their allocations, based on their FQA units, would otherwise be below that level.
How are these groups' quota allocations managed during the year?
Producer Organisations are responsible for managing their quota allocations and for ensuring that these are not exceeded. It is for the POs to decide with their members how best to allocate quota to them. Some POs set monthly catch limits, which may be supplemented by quota held by individual PO members; other POs issue annual vessel or company quotas.
The allocations for the non-sector and the under 10 metre fleet are managed (usually through catch limits) by the Fisheries Administrations within the UK in consultation with the industry.
Can quota be transferred between groups?
Groups are permitted to arrange quota exchanges - usually called "swaps" - with each other during the year. Such swaps are conducted for various reasons, e.g. to gain more quota if an allocation is under pressure, or to take account of vessels switching from one group to another during the year. As well as POs, the non-sector and the under 10 metre fleet may participate in such swaps, which are negotiated for them by Fisheries Administrations.
International swaps with other EU Member States are another source of additional quota: these are negotiated or conducted by Fisheries Administrations within the UK on behalf of all groups, who are invited to participate in such swaps if they have surplus quota for other stocks which they can offer as swap "currency".
How do Fisheries Administrations monitor quota uptake?
Quota uptake as a whole, and uptake by individual groups, is monitored by Fisheries Administrations on the basis of information obtained from logbooks, landing declarations and other sources. Information on uptake is collated and summarised by group in the form of weekly spreadsheets issued by Fisheries Administrations UK to the fishing industry. These are used to inform decisions regarding the management of fisheries, the need to undertake quota swaps and the closure of fisheries to individual groups or to the fleet within the UK as a whole.
How are FQA units held?
For vessels over 10 metres FQA units are associated with the licences of these vessels.
For vessels of 10 metres and under, the FQA units are not generally associated with individual vessel licences, but are held centrally by Fisheries Departments. However, the owners of such vessels may acquire FQA units from other vessels, and associate them with their licences, if they are planning to fish against quota allocations managed by POs (rather than against the "pool" allocations for the under 10 metre fleet which are managed by Fisheries Administrations). Under 10 metre vessel owners who opt to fish against PO allocations must complete EU logbooks and submit landing declarations in the same way as the owners of vessels over 10 metres, and are subject to various other conditions which are set out in the guidance note FQA 5.
Can FQA units currently be transferred?
Yes. Where fishing vessel licences are transferred, or are aggregated to licence another vessel, the FQA units will automatically move with the licences unless the licence holders have taken steps to transfer the FQA units separately.