Fish landing obligation

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Under the reformed Common Fisheries Policy the practice of discarding unwanted fish is being phased out. From 1st January 2015 all pelagic fisheries have been subject to the landing obligation and any fish that are subject to fish quotas, caught whilst catching fish such as herring and mackerel must be landed.

Changes in the Policy

From 1st January 2016 any:

  • Nephrops (Prawns) trawlers will have to land any Nephrops above Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS). Nephrops below MCRS may continue be returned to the sea.  Any Nephrops caught in pots may be returned to the sea.
  • vessels operating in the Irish Sea whose landings of cod, haddock, whiting or saithe formed more than 10% of their total catches in the years 2014 to 2015 and who were subject to the landing obligation in 2016 must land any haddock that they catch.

If you need more information the Department has produced the following guidance on the fish landing obligation:

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