Maritime fees increase will bring extra investment for services
by Samantha Sinclair, MCA 22 Oct 2018 15:30 BST
13 November 2018
Fisherman talking to MCA surveyor © Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is to increase its fees for the first time in over ten years – giving it the flexibility to invest further in the services it provides to the maritime sector.
From 13 November 2018, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) will increase most of its fees across the whole of the UK.
The fee increases have been carefully planned, with a public consultation carried out in 2016, so industry and all those affected have been involved every step of the way. As a result of this active consultation with industry, it was agreed to introduce some fees in stages to reduce the impact on both businesses and individuals.
Consideration was also given to the impact on small-scale operators. The survey fee increase should only affect 11% of fishing vessels – about 600 – as only those 15 metres in length or over need to be surveyed.
MCA fee increases in detail
The phased increase in fees will cover fees to survey a vessel and the seafarer medical examination fee.
The hourly vessel survey rate will increase in two stages:
i) from the current £94 per hour to £120 per hour in November 2018;
ii) from £120 to £147 per hour in November 2019.
The Seafarer Medical Examination Fee will increase in three stages from £80 to £115. The increases will be from £80 to £95 (November 2018), £95 to £105 (November 2019) and £105 to £115 (November 2020).
All other fees will increase in a single increment from 13 November.
Full information about the MCA's fees increases can be found on our MCA fees page on gov.uk. You can also read about the public consultation that was carried out ahead of the rises.