The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has opened applications for 65 bass authorisations that are currently unused. According to the announcement published on 9 November 2026, the authorisations are available to English licensed single-hulled vessels under 8 metres, and will be allocated through a written application followed by a blind selection among eligible applicants. Successful applicants will be permitted to fish with hook and line only, and the authorisations are limited to vessels that do not already hold a bass authorisation. Anyone with an existing bass authorisation will not be affected.

The MMO said the opportunity follows the outcomes of the 2025 bass authorisation review and is being delivered under the bass fisheries management plan. The application process closes at midnight on Monday 21 December 2026, giving fishermen six weeks to apply. The MMO said it will hold engagement events around the coast, with dates, times and places to be published on its FMP blog.

Tim Dixon, the MMO's Head of Fisheries Management, said applying would not guarantee access to the bass fishery but that every application would be considered. The MMO said the bass fishery has been carefully managed since 2015 through measures including catch limits, seasonal closures and authorisations, and that a review identified a need for wider access to opportunities and support for goals such as reducing discards and supporting coastal communities.