Commercial Fishing Licences
The number of Scalefish Fishery licences has gradually declined from more than 450 in 2001 to 257 in 2020, mainly driven by a substantial reduction (>75%) in the number of Scalefish C licences issued (see Total Licences Tab below). Up until 2008, about half of all Scalefish Fishery licences were active. In the most recently assessed reporting year (2020), 41% of all Scalefish licences were active.
In addition to Scalefish Fishery licences A, B and C, separate fishing licences allow the use of beach seine (a total of 50 licences in two categories, A and B), small mesh gillnet (10 licences), purse seine (9 licences) and Danish seine nets (7 licences). Fishers holding a rock lobster licence (but without Scalefish A or B licence) are also allowed to take scalefish species albeit with a limited amount of fishing gear (see Licence Type Tab below).
