Invitation to Owners of Registered and Licensed Fishing Vessels to make their Applications for Permits – specifically for whelks and to establish whelk track record.
The NWIFCA Potting Permit Byelaw 2020 was sent to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on 17 July 2020 for Q&A prior to being sent to Defra for confirmation by the Secretary of State. During this process the byelaw may be subject to minor amendment, but NWIFCA is now inviting stakeholders who pot for whelks from registered and licenced fishing vessels to apply for track record and permits, using the whelk track record application form and Category One permit application form.
Under the process for assigning whelk track record, applications for both whelk track record and permits must be made within six months from the date of submission of this byelaw for approval.
Should a person consider that they have a legitimate claim to a track record for whelks but that they fall marginally outside of the NWIFCA track record eligibility criteria, they may appeal to a panel using the Whelk Track Record Appeal Form.
The NWIFCA is carrying out this administrative exercise now to ensure the byelaw can be practically implemented as swiftly as possible once the Secretary of State confirms the byelaw.
Applicants may also make their applications for crab and lobster permits, and nephrops permits and the same time. There is no time limit on when applications for these permits can be made.
Download Whelk Track Record Application Form (Word Doc)
Download Category One Potting Permit Application Form (Word Doc)
Download Whelk Track Record Appeal Form (Word Doc)
Open process document for assigning whelk track record (PDF)
No payments will be accepted until the byelaw is confirmed, at which point providing all the requirements for obtaining a permit have been met, applicants will be contacted to make payment.
No permits will be issued until payments have been processed.
Please note that NWIFCA cannot provide updates on the progress of the Byelaw during this time and we appreciate your patience. We do undertake to notify you as soon as there is any concrete news.
Applications for permits to pot from non-licensed vessels will be invited in due course.
To assist applications the Byelaw and Flexible Permit Conditions are available below in the format sent to MMO (prior to any amendments required by MMO). A guidance document explaining Category One permits in plain English can also be downloaded below.
Open Potting Permit Byelaw (PDF)