2025: Bluefin Tuna Recreational Fishing Permit Applications Open

Today (Thursday 17^th April 2025), the UK Government has opened applications for permits to participate in the 2025 English bluefin tuna (BFT) catch-and-release recreational fishery (CRRF). Applications will close on 18th May 2025.

The 2025 recreational bluefin tuna fishery will open on 18^th July and close on 30^th November.  This is a change from 2024, reflecting feedback from those who fished last year.

The Angling Trust, alongside the UK Bluefin Tuna Association and the Professional Boatman’s Association, are recognised representatives of the recreational fishing sector on the Recreational Bluefin Tuna Stakeholder Group and have worked alongside UK Government and its agencies to share our recommendations based upon experiences of anglers and skippers from last year and the best-available evidence.

We (Angling Trust, UK Bluefin Tuna Association and the Professional Boatman’s Association) have collectively advocated for the UK Government to expand the recreational bluefin tuna fishery permits in line with the science in order to further develop a world-class fishery that prioritises sustainability and delivers societal benefits to coastal communities. We’ve called to retain existing experience within the fishery, improve accessibility to new entrants, strengthen enforcement, promote the importance of data collection and increase participant knowledge of best-practice fish welfare and handling.

Not all our recommendations were adopted or reflected in the criteria published today by the UK Government. We are continuing to make representations to Defra and the MMO on areas of concern in today’s published guidance and will update our community accordingly.

Applications now open for 2025

Below is a summary of the eligibility criteria and requirements for successful license holders, as set out by the UK Government. More information can be found here.

The Marine Management Organisation has created this form and inbox for applicants. Eligible and interested applicants should complete the MMO form and send it to them for their review to: BFT.recreational@marinemanagement.org.uk

Applications must be sent before the closing deadline of 23:59 18^th May 2025 and must be completed on an individual basis. Group applications will not be accepted. Note the MMO will not perform completion checks until the application deadline has passed. If you identify that you have failed to submit all evidence in your application, you must complete a new application before the deadline. The applications are not reviewed by the MMO on a first-come-first-serve basis and we recommend all applicants take their time to review and submit their applications.

The Angling Trust, UK Bluefin Tuna Association and Professional Boatman’s Association ARE NOT involved in reviewing applications and issuing permits. While we offered advice on the selection and criteria – which was mostly not adopted – the final decision on what they are and how the process is managed is the responsibility of Defra and the MMO.

Not all our recommendations were adopted by the UK Government. We will continue to make these points and share experiences from our community with UK Government.

The below is extracted by the UK Government published eligibility criteria and guidance.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a permit you must meet the following criteria:

• You must not have secured a permit for the UK commercial BFT 2025 fishery. See Bluefin tuna (BFT) commercial fishery within UK waters – GOV.UK
• You must not have secured a permit for another UK BFT CRRF for this 2025 season.
• Your vessel must not be less than 5 metre in overall length and must be powered by an engine/motor.
• You will be asked to submit a recent photograph of your vessel with external registration markings on display in your application.
• You must be the owner of a vessel registered in the United Kingdom under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. Evidence will be required.
• If your vessel is used for charter fishing trips, you must hold a valid Small Commercial Vessel Certificate (SCV2). You will be required to submit evidence of the SCV2.

How the English waters BFT CRRF will be allocated

It is expected that the MMO will receive more applications than the number of permits available. Therefore, the MMO will prioritise applications based on the following: 

1. Recent, high quality, verifiable, UK experience AND training. Evidenced by: held a permit and reported trips in a 2024 UK BFT CRRF, AND have undertaken recognised training, either through the Cefas UK CHART programme, or FaSS funded ‘Recreational Angling Training for Bluefin Tuna Permit Holders 2024’ overseen by UKBFTA. 
2. Older, high quality, verifiable, UK training. Evidenced by: applicant having skippered, owned or crewed on a vessel that participated in both the Cefas UK CHART training and programme. 
3. No verifiable UK training. A minimum of ten permits will be allocated to this priority to ensure that some newer entrants can access the fishery. Newer entrants will be strongly encouraged to undertake training where possible.  

As the MMO is unlikely to be able to fulfil permit demand the expectation is that all successful participants MUST use their permit and report all of their BFT catch and release fishing trip activity. 

Failure to use the permit and report all activity to the MMO can result in their future BFT applications being rejected. Only apply if you intend to use the permit.  

If you are successful in receiving a BFT CRRF permit, but your circumstances change and you can no longer utilise your permit, please contact us at the earliest opportunity and we will look to re-use the permit. 

The permit will not be transferable to a different owner, or in respect of a different fishing boat unless in exceptional circumstances agreed by the MMO, for instance significant boat engine failure. 

Contact BFT.recreational@marinemanagement.org.uk for more information. 

The MMO has the power if needed to vary, suspend, or revoke permits, under the conditions set out in the legislation.

Permit Participation Terms

As the MMO is unlikely to be able to fulfil permit demand the expectation is that all successful participants MUST use their permit. Failure to use the permit and report all activity to the MMO can result in their future BFT applications being rejected. Only apply if you intend to use the permit.  

Where evidence shows non-compliance on the points below, the MMO will consider the removal of the permit issued. 

1. The BFT CRRF permit allows for the named vessel to be used to ‘catch and release’ BFT by rod and line only, for the defined period. 
2. ‘Catch and release’ BFT fishing MUST be in English waters only. 
3. The vessel owner and skipper are both liable for ensuring that legislative requirements are followed. 

The regulation sets out how any caught BFT should be treated, in that BFT MUST NOT be: 

• harmed, 
• removed from the sea, 
• brought aboard a vessel, 
• transferred to any other vessel, 
• landed. 

Regardless of whether a BFT was caught or not, the Vessel Owner MUST ensure that all their BFT ‘catch and release’ trips have been reported to the MMO. See Mandatory reporting rules section below. 

The Angling Trust, UK Bluefin Tuna Association, and the Professional Boatman’s Association have developed a code of conduct to encourage best practice by those taking part in the fishery.  We strongly encourage successful application to follow that code of conduct, which can be found here  https://ukbfta.co.uk/].

Mandatory Reporting Rules

The vessel owner and skipper are legally bound by permit conditions set by the MMO. 

Regulation mandates all permit BFT fishing trips carried out in English waters to be reported to the MMO within 24 hours upon return, regardless of whether any BFT were caught or not, otherwise it is deemed an offence. If an event causes you difficulty in reporting your activity within 24hours, it is important that you still comply and submit those records.   

As a minimum you must report the following information. 

• Date of fishing trip. 
• The ICES rectangle of trip activity. (you will be provided instruction on how to identify an ICES rectangle) 
• The number of BFT that were caught on the permitted fishing trip. 
• The length of each BFT caught. 
• The fight time, recovery period provided and status of BFT upon release.   

Details on how permit holders are to report their BFT information will be communicated to successful applicants and set out within their permit. Successful applicants are encouraged to attend a short online demonstration of the BFT reporting tool to understand how to deliver on their mandatory BFT reporting requirements, run by the MMO, prior to their permit being issued. 

The information generated from the mandatory reporting by the authorised/permitted BFT CRRF fishers will be used to produce anonymised in season and end of season official statistics.

Code of Conduct

BFT training and experience may continue to play a part towards eligibility determination in future seasons. We encourage applicants to undertake an appropriate level of BFT training.  

All participants in the English waters BFT CRRF are encouraged to undertake training and to adopt the code of conduct, which will set out best practice relating the catching and release of BFT. 

The Code of Conduct and associated training materials have been produced collaboratively by the UK Bluefin Tuna Association, the Angling Trust, the Professional Boatman’s Association, Centre of Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and Natural England. 

CRRF Code of Conduct, Knowledge and Training resource https://ukbfta.co.uk/

Email info@ukbfta.co.uk

Other training providers may be available.