Permit Returns: monthly reporting for commercial permit holders

Permit returns are electronic or paper forms that commercial fishers must submit each month to report fishing activity within the NIFCA district. The form asks for information such as areas fishing has taken place, the weight of landed catch by species, and how much effort from potting or trawling has taken place. Additional information relating to gear losses or numbers of v-notched lobsters seen are also collected and any months where no fishing activity has occurred.

Permit holders will also have access to their own returns information, and this can be used to map their own fishing catches over time.

Permit returns are an important condition of holding a commercial fishing permit. They allow the Authority to monitor fishing activity, understand levels of effort and catch, and support evidence-based management of local fisheries and the marine environment on a granular level across the district.  They can also help demonstrate economic impacts from national policy changes for example the increase of lobster MCRS.

All commercial permit holders must submit a permit return to the Authority by the last day of the calendar month for the preceding month’s activity (eg. the May return is due on the last day of June).

A return must be submitted for each month in which a person holds a valid permit, even where no fishing activity has taken place. Where there has been no fishing activity, a nil return must still be submitted.

Failure to submit a permit return may result in further action by the Authority. This may include an official warning, consideration by a Financial Administrative Penalty, or court proceedings, where appropriate.

All permit holders can sign up to receive permit return reminders by either text or email. Contact nifca@nifca.gov.uk to request reminders.