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ANNEX E - GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS
Terms
Total Allowable Catch ( TAC): A Total Allowable Catch (agreed annually by EU Fisheries Ministers) represents the level of exploitation (in metric tonnes) which it is considered that a fish stock (usually defined by sea area and species - e.g. North Sea cod) can support in any fishing year (1 January-31 December).
EC Share: The amount of fish within the overall TAC which is available to Member States. (The residue is allocated to "third countries", e.g. Norway, Faroes, and Russia.)
Quota: A Member State's share of the EC share of the TAC.
(Quota) Allocations: The amount of quota (for any given stock/year) allocated to individual fishing groups* ( i.e. Producer Organisations ( POs); non-sector; 10 metre and under). Allocations are based on the FQA units associated with licences in membership of groups as at 1 January of each quota year.
* the term "group" is normally used, collectively, to refer to the non-sector, any PO, or any group of individual vessels which have been granted quota allocations.
Fixed Quota Allocations ( FQAs): The building block for allocations. FQA units were first created in 1999 based on the track record (recorded catches) associated with licences during the period 1994 to 1996. Each FQA unit represents a % share of quota for a given quota stock. The total number of units "in circulation" has largely remained unaltered from when they were first introduced. For example, there are currently around 490,500 units of North Sea cod; 721,500 units of North Sea haddock ; and 2,064,400 units of western mackerel.
POs: (Fish) Producer Organisations, as distinct from other types of fishermen's organisations, are an institution of the EC. They are set up, following formal recognition by Member States, in accordance with EC regulations to improve the market for their members' catches. They are seen as essential to the achievement of the objectives of EC policy governing the common organisation of the market ( CMO) in fisheries products. In addition to this function, POs can be granted responsibility by Fisheries Administrations for the management of fish quotas. There is no requirement for POs to be given such responsibility (known as sectoral management).
Non-sector group: Over 10 metre vessels not in membership of a PO and which fish against a "pool" quota allocation managed centrally (usually by way of catch limits) by Fisheries Administrations within the UK in consultation with industry interests .
10 metre and under group: 10 metre and under vessels which fish against a "pool" quota allocation managed centrally (usually by way of catch limits) by Fisheries Administrations within the UK in consultation with industry interests.
Fishing vessel licence: the authority for a registered (with the Register of Shipping and Seamen at Cardiff) fishing vessel to fish commercially and land its catch for profit. Fishing licences are issued at Ministers' discretion. It authorises the sea areas in which a vessel can fish and the species of fish that can be targeted and is the mechanism of control that enables Fisheries Administrations within the UK to regulate fishing under the quotas ( TACs) set and allocated annually under the EU Common Fisheries Policy.
"Active" licence: A licence that is attached to a fishing vessel.
"Dummy Licence" - An administrative "holding" mechanism whereby POs can hold FQA units acquired by the PO itself or on behalf of others.
Licence "entitlement" (aka "hip-pocket"): A licence that has been removed from a vessel, and, thereafter, is classed as an "entitlement" to apply for licence in the future. Entitlements, often referred to as "hip-pocket" have a limited validity period (currently 3 years from the date the entitlement is established but we propose to increase to 5 years under a Scottish licensing system).
Port of Administration: All licensed fishing vessels are administered through a Fishery Office. The Fishery Office concerned is usually the one that, geographically, has proximity to the master/owner of the vessel's abode or place of business. The Fishery Office designated as the administration port issues the vessels licenses, and is usually the first point of contact for any licence transactions or queries on fisheries regulations etc. The port of administration can differ from the port of registry.
Port of Registration: The port of registry is the port abbreviated on the vessel's PLN. For example, PD is Peterhead and A is Aberdeen.
(Sea) Areas IV and VI: The North Sea and West of Scotland respectively.
(Sea) Area VII: The Irish Sea and English Channel.
Scottish Fisheries Council - A recently-formed joint Scottish Government/industry stakeholder advisory body to the Cabinet Secretary. Its purpose is to provide a means by which the Scottish Government can implement policies in partnership with stakeholders.
Acronyms
COM: Common Organisation of Markets ( EC legislation under which POs are formed).
CQS: Community Quota Scheme.
ECHR: European Convention on Human Rights.
ICES: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (the body responsible for providing scientific advice to the European Commission on the state of fish stocks).
IQ: Individual Quota (system of allocating quotas to individual vessels used by some POs mainly, but not solely, in respect of pelagic quotas).
IQS: International quota swap.
ITQ: Individual Transferable Quota
LRWG: Licence Review Working Group (a UK joint government/industry group which reported in June 2006 with various recommendations for changes to licensing arrangements).
MFA: Marine and Fisheries Agency (the department responsible for quota management and fisheries licensing and enforcement for England and Wales).
PLN: A PLN is the individual registration number of a vessel issued by the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen ( RSS). PLN take the form of a port abbreviation letter/s followed by a number, for example PD 123, (Peterhead) 123, A 123 (Aberdeen) 123. The ports of registry are Peterhead and Aberdeen in these instances. Every port does not have a PLN. There are geographical areas associated with each PLN. For example, in Fife, the PLN tends to be KY Kirkcaldy (although the vast majority of fishing vessels in Fife do not operate out of Kirkcaldy).
RUK: Rest of the UK.
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