UK Northern Albacore Tuna Fishery 2025 - Expression of Interest Guidance
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-05)

UK Northern Albacore Tuna Fishery 2025 - Expression of Interest Guidance.

For 2025, the UK has a quota allocation of 663 tonnes for the Northern albacore (Thunnus alalunga) stock (ALB/AN05N), (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6762d2fa3229e84d9bbde7be/20-December-2024-Secretary-of-State-determination-of-British-fishing-opportunities.pdf) of which 280 tonnes may be taken via directed fishery in EU waters.

To be eligible to apply to fish for Northern albacore you must:
- Have a domestic commercial fishing licence and be registered in either England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
- If planning to fish in EU waters, hold an external waters licence for access to EU waters.
- Use rod and reel, trawl, or longline gears.
- Agree not to undertake bait chumming - bait chumming is not permitted.
How and when to apply

The application period ran from 5 February to 23.59 on 4 March and is now closed for 2025

If you are unable to complete the online form, a Microsoft Word version of the form can be provided via email. Please contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) to request a Word version of the form.

Guidance on completing the form

Before applying, please ensure you have read the information provided under “Considerations before applying” below.

When completing the application form, you should:
- answer all required questions. Incomplete application forms will not be considered and will cause your application to be unsuccessful.
- contact the Fisheries Management Team at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) if you experience any problems completing this application.
Applications must be completed on an individual basis per vessel; unless two vessels plan to operate as a pair trawl team, in which case a single application for both vessels is appropriate. Applications to fish via the pair trawl method should include the details of both vessels in a single application.

Applicants will be required to complete vessel and owner details and provide information on their proposed fishing activity and the benefits it will bring to the UK. Applicants must provide answers to all questions on the application form, unless marked as optional.

The UK can issue nine licences for UK vessels to target Northern albacore in 2025. This is in line with the fishing capacity limitation in ICCAT Recommendation 21-04.

Applications will be assessed on a fair and objective basis to determine the amount of quota to be allocated. Consideration will be given to the environmental, social, and economic impacts of your proposed fishing activity.

Consideration will also be given to an applicant’s history of compliance with regulatory requirements relating to fishing. If a master or owner of a vessel included in your application has been found guilty of any fisheries offences in the last three years which resulted in an Official Written Warning (OWW), Financial Administrative Penalty (FAP) or a conviction, the UK Fisheries Administrations reserve the right to remove your application from consideration.

How to submit the form

If you are not able to complete the online application form, you can either:
- email your form to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx); or
- post a printed out copy of your form to:
Fisheries Management Team – Northern Albacore EOIMarine Management OrganisationLancaster HouseHampshire CourtNewcastle upon TyneNE4 7YH

If you are planning on posting your application, please let us know to expect it by emailing xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) or by calling us on xx-xxxx-xxxx.

Applications are open from 5 February and close at 23:59 on 4 March. Applications received outside of this period will not be considered.

Next steps

Applications will be reviewed by the UK Fisheries Administrations (UK FAs).

The UK FAs reserve the right to determine who receives a licence authorisation and will contact applicants to inform them of the outcome of their expression of interest in March 2025. The quota is managed by the UK FAs who reserve the right to re-distribute quota if required during the year.

Licence authorisations will be non-transferable and valid for the 2025 fishing season only. Licence authorisations will not provide successful applicants with a track record for future quota considerations and provide no guarantee of access to Northern albacore quota in future.

Considerations before applying

Permitted gears

Permitted gear types are forms of rod and reel, trawl or pelagic longline.

Driftnets and forms of gillnet are prohibited for Northern albacore and other named ICCAT species by Article 9 of the Technical Conservation Measures Regulation (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2019/1241/article/9).

Bait chumming is not permitted.

Observers

UK vessels targeting Northern albacore with certain gear types will be required to carry a fisheries observer in line with ICCAT Recommendation 16-14.

A minimum of 5% observer coverage of fishing effort will be required in trawl fisheries, measured in fishing hauls or days, and pelagic longline fisheries, measured in fishing days, number of sets, or trips.

Further details of observer coverage requirements will be contained within your licence conditions should your application be successful.

Consideration of UK landing ports and recording of catches

UK vessels landing Northern albacore into the UK may be required to land in to a UK designated port (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-ports/list-of-designated-ports) depending upon vessel size and quantity of Northern albacore to be landed. Vessel operators can refer to domestic licence conditions for more information. If you are obligated to use one and are unable to reach a designated port, seek advice from the UK Fisheries Monitoring Centre (UKFMC).

UK vessels must record all catches and discards as they normally would for any quota or non-quota species, for further information please contact your Fisheries Administration.

Fishing in EU waters

In order to take part in the Northern albacore fishery in EU waters, applicants should take into consideration that there may be additional requirements relating to fishing at increased distances from shore, including carriage of appropriate radio and medical equipment and ensuring crew are appropriately trained to operate in accordance with the requirements of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency).

Applicants wishing to fish in both EU and UK waters should also be aware of requirements relating to landing UK caught fish directly into the EU: Exporting or moving fish from the UK - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exporting-or-moving-fish-from-the-uk#direct-landing).

Applicants wishing to target Northern albacore in EU waters must satisfy themselves that they meet all regulatory requirements to do so.

This information is not required to be submitted in order for an application to be successful, however this information has been provided to inform applicants of potential requirements they may have to fulfil prior to being able to begin fishing in EU waters should their application be successful.

How your data will be handled

The personal data you provide in your application will be collected and processed for the purpose of assessing and determining the outcome of your application for a licence. Personal data will be handled in accordance with the United Kingdom Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA) privacy notice, which can be viewed by clicking the following link:

Personal information charter - Marine Management Organisation - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/marine-management-organisation/about/personal-information-charter#contacting-us)

Annex

General guidance – Characteristics of albacore tuna Thunnus alalunga

Albacore is one of the smaller tuna species. Estimated 130 centimetres (cm) as a likely maximum length in the Atlantic.

External: Long pectoral fins (up to 30% of fork length or longer in fishes longer than 50 cm).

Colour: Metallic dark blue on the dorsal side and silvery white on the ventral side; a faint lateral iridescent blue band runs along sides in live fish. First dorsal fin deep yellow, second dorsal and anal fins light yellow, anal finlets dark. Posterior margin of caudal fin white (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Drawing of an adult albacore by Les Gallagher (Les Gallagher, University of the Azores).

Distribution

Geographical limits are from 45-50 ºN to 30-40 ºS.

In May, albacore start to concentrate in surface waters near the Azores at 38ºN latitude and begin to move north in waters of 17-20ºC of temperature. Within a period of 1-2 months the population is located south-west of Ireland and in the Bay of Biscay.

Fisheries

The Northern stock is traditionally exploited by surface (pair pelagic/mid-water trawlers) and longline fisheries. Surface fisheries mainly target juveniles and sub-adults (50 cm to 90 cm) that migrate swimming in surface waters. Longliners catch adults and subadults (60-120 cm) moving in deeper waters. As for the geographical distribution of the fisheries, longliners concentrate their activity in the central Atlantic area whereas surface fisheries, nowadays taking most of the catches, mainly operate in the northeast Atlantic.

Reference

ICCAT. 2006-2016. ICCAT Manual. International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna. In: ICCAT Publications [on-line]. Updated 2016. ISBN (Electronic Edition): 978-92-990055-0-7 ICCAT·CICTA·CICAA (https://www.iccat.int/en/iccatmanual.html)