Commercial Whelk Permit Applications Now Open Until 30th April 2026.
At the Authority’s Technical Science and Byelaw Sub-Committee (TSB) meeting on the 10th February 2026, members agreed to reopen the application process for whelk permits within the district for a two-month period between March and April 2026 to allocate up to 2,500 pots to new applicates.
The decision follows a review of the whelk flexible permit conditions under Byelaw 4 (Potting Permit Byelaw), which assessed fishing effort, landings data, landings per unit effort, stakeholder feedback and the policy direction set by the national Whelk Fisheries Management Plan. Recommendations 1-4 were accepted and Recommendation 5 was accepted subject to a minor amendment. The full report can be found here
Review of Byelaw 4 Whelk Flexible Permit Conditions Report.pdf
The review concluded that while the fishery remains productive, effort controls are still necessary to safeguard stock sustainability. Therefore, members agreed to reopen applications on a limited and controlled basis.
NWIFCA will be allocating up to 2,500 whelk pots to owners of a relevant fishing vessel that do not currently have a Category 1 whelk permit. The initial target will be to issue five vessels with 500 pots. Should NWIFCA receive more applications, we will assess the option of sharing the pots between all applicants or adding additional eligibility criteria. At the end of the application process, successful applicants will be contacted with an offer of a permit stating an allocated number of pots, which the applicant can chose to accept or not. Applicants may be requested to provide additional evidence to support their application.
Applications for whelk permits are open from 1st March to 30th April 2026.
To apply for a Category 1 whelk permit, please complete the following application form.