EU and UK Enforce Stricter Fishing Regulations to Protect Celtic and Irish Sea Stocks

The European Union and the United Kingdom have rolled out tighter technical fishing regulations across the Celtic Sea, Irish Sea, and parts of the English Channel. Stemming from the December 2025 Fisheries Council agreement, the joint measures are designed to rebuild depleted stocks of cod, haddock, whiting, sole, and plaice by improving catch selectivity and minimising unwanted bycatches.

Commercial fleets operating in these waters must now strictly adhere to more specific gear construction and mesh size standards depending on their location and target species.

The licence conditions were brought in on 1 November and come into force from 26 November 2026.

Celtic Sea Technical Measures

Nephrops Catches: For vessels whose catches are 30% or more of nephrops, a 80 mm codend must be used plus one of either a 300 mm square mesh panel, a Seltra panel, a Nordmøre sorting grid or a Netgrid device, all with specific technical measurements.
Small Vessels: Vessels of 12 metres overall length or less with an engine power of 221 kW or less fishing within 12 nm of the UK in ICES area 7e east of 5° W may follow standard EU technical measures regulations.

Irish Sea Technical Measures

Nephrops Catches: As with the Celtic Sea, for vessels whose catches are 30% or more of nephrops, a 80 mm codend must be used plus one of either a 300 mm square mesh panel, a Seltra panel, a Nordmøre sorting grid or a Netgrid device, all with specific technical measurements.
Haddock, Cod, Skates, and Rays Catches: Where at least 10% of catch consists of these species, vessels equal to or greater than 12 metres overall length operating bottom trawls or seines must use a 120 mm codend or an eliminator trawl with 600 mm large mesh panels and a 100 mm codend.
Low Bycatch Catches (Less than 10% Haddock, Cod, Skates, and Rays): Vessels equal to or greater than 12 metres overall length using bottom trawls or seines must apply a 100 mm codend mesh size with a 100 mm squared mesh panel (excluding vessels with >30% Norway lobster or >85% queen scallops).

Channel Technical Measures For Beam Trawls

Minimum Codend Mesh Size: Beam trawls operating within British fishery limits in ICES divisions 7d and 7e must use a minimum codend mesh size of 90 mm.
Exemptions: Vessels 12 metres overall length or less with an engine power of 221 kW or less, or vessels operating within the 6 nautical mile limit under the jurisdiction of an Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.

For the specific licence types these measures affect, further details on gear specifications and affected zones, consult the MMO’s guidance here and here.