Coastal fishing permit

If you intend to buy a boat for coastal fishing, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the conditions and rules that apply when applying for a coastal fishing permit.

The purchase of a boat must also be finalised with a bill of sale before the deadline for applications for coastal fishing permits. If the purchase has not been finalised within the deadline, the new owner cannot engage in coastal fishing on the vessel until the following year.

Conditions for coastal fishing boats

A boat to be used for coastal fishing must comply with the applicable rules. Rules may change between coastal fishing seasons.

Basically, you need to be able to answer the following statements in the affirmative:

A more detailed explanation of each condition follows below.

1. Not a Development Fund boat

Boats that are or have been defined as Development Fund boats cannot obtain a permit for commercial fishing, including a coastal fishing permit. You can check if a boat is a Development Fund boat by:

• searching for the boat on the Directorate of Fisheries website

• viewing the vessel history of the boat

If the boat's vessel category has ever been Development Fund, the boat is considered obsolete from the fisheries management system and cannot be used for coastal fishing.

2. Certificate of seaworthiness for fishing

To obtain a coastal fishing permit, a boat must have a valid certificate of seaworthiness for fishing.

The Icelandic Transport Authority:

• issues certificates of seaworthiness

• provides information on whether a certificate is valid

• provides guidance on what is needed to obtain a certificate for a boat

3. Not in a negative transfer position

If a boat has transferred more catch quota from it than to it, it is considered to have a negative transfer balance and thus cannot be used for coastal fishing. When buying a boat, you must therefore check its status:

• In the vessel overview at the Directorate of Fisheries, the “Between vessels” balance must not be negative in cod equivalents.

A negative balance can be corrected by transferring a catch quota to the boat. Note, however, that:

• A boat that has received a coastal fishing permit may not have a negative balance for the rest of the fishing year.

• This also applies even if the boat withdraws from the coastal fishing system.

4. No involvement in another coastal fishing permit

The owner or operator of a coastal fishing boat may only be party to one coastal fishing permit. If the buyer is:

• a company, or

• an individual connected to a company,

then neither the company nor its owners may be party to another coastal fishing permit. When buying a boat, it is therefore necessary to ensure that the new owners or operator are not connected to another coastal fishing permit.

Information can be obtained by:

• checking the vessel's vessel category at the Directorate of Fisheries

  • a boat in the zero category is considered to be without an operator

• checking the registration of owners at the Icelandic Transport Authority

• checking the registration in the Register of Enterprises of the Icelandic Revenue and Customs or the company's share register in the case of a legal entity

5. More than 50% ownership share

To obtain a coastal fishing permit, one owner must own more than 50% of the vessel, and that person must be on board the vessel during every fishing trip.

Ownership can be:

• direct, or

• through a company, provided that the person in question owns more than 50% of the company.

• through a legal entity, in which case the Directorate of Fisheries refers to the registration in the Register of Enterprises of the Icelandic Revenue and Customs.

Please note

If a change is made to the ownership of the vessel or its operation after a coastal fishing permit has been granted, the coastal fishing permit will be revoked, and the vessel can no longer be used for coastal fishing during that period.