#TECM2608542AOrder of 25 March 2026 approving Deliberation No. B7/2026 on Conditions for Fishing in Estuaries and Fishing for Amphihaline Fish (CMEA)
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This French regulation establishes a mandatory multi-species fishing licence (licence CMEA) required to fish in estuaries and for amphihaline species (eels, salmonids, shads, lampreys) along the North Sea, English Channel and Atlantic coasts up to the 12-nautical-mile limit. It sets national and regional quotas for licences and specific fishing rights (DPS) for civelle (glass eel <12cm), yellow eel, migratory salmonids, other amphihaline species and estuarine resources. Licences are valid for a maximum of 12 months from 1 October, are non-transferable, and are issued jointly to the vessel owner/skipper and the vessel. Strict capacity limits (max 110 kW and 15 GT per vessel for civelle transfers) and an 'enveloppe capacitaire' system manage fishing effort. The rule creates Estuarine Dispute Commissions (CEL) for licence allocation disputes and maintains priority for historical rights holders while allowing limited capacity transfers within the same Anguilla Management Unit (UGA).
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Key Changes
- Mandatory CMEA multi-species licence required for all estuarine and amphihaline fishing in North Sea, Channel and Atlantic waters up to 12 nautical miles
- Specific fishing rights (DPS) created for Civelle (<12 cm eel), Yellow eel, Migratory salmonids, Other amphihaline species and Other estuarine resources
- Maximum vessel capacity for civelle DPS transfers limited to 110 kW and 15 GT per vessel
+ 3 more changes with Pro
Obligations
What this law requires
Do not transfer, assign or cede the licence CMEA to another party; licence is non-transferable
Obtain a mandatory multi-species fishing licence (licence CMEA) to fish in estuaries and for amphihaline species (eels, salmonids, shads, lampreys) along North Sea, English Channel and Atlantic coasts up to 12-nautical-mile limit
Renew licence CMEA annually with maximum validity period of 12 months starting 1 October each year
Ensure fishing vessel does not exceed maximum capacity limits of 110 kilowatts (kW) and 15 gross tonnage (GT) when fishing civelle (glass eel <12cm) with specific fishing rights (DPS)
Declare vessel as active in the European fishing fleet file and maintain French flag registration and EU immatriculation to qualify as eligible professional fishing vessel