Following the introduction of the Fisheries Act 2020, the baselines from which the UK’s 0-12 nautical mile fisheries limits are measured are updated from those defined from the 1983 baselines under the Common Fisheries Policy to those determined by the Territorial Sea (Baselines) Order 2014 in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This will align the UK’s 0-12 nautical mile fisheries limits with the seaward limit of the territorial sea as defined by the 2014 Order.

The districts of the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities remain unaffected by these changes. Their limits remain calculated by reference to the baselines as they were in 1983 and the legislation which determines this has not, at this time, been amended.

The UK Hydrographic Office’s (UKHO) ADMIRALTY Charts showing the UK’s, Overseas Territories’ and Crown Dependencies’ territorial sea limits, exclusive economic zone limits and international maritime boundaries are available from distributors in paper and electronic format.

The significant changes will be included on affected ADMIRALTY Products by New Edition or Notice to Mariners from 1st April 2021.

For illustrative purposes, diagrams and shape files (digital data files) are available on the ADMIRALTY Marine Data Portal.

You can view an illustration of the latest limits and a range of geospatial data sets depicting these limits here.