Fishing Ports and Port Registration
Letters
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Commercial fishing boats are regulated by Government agencies. To ensure clear and separate identification of boats that may have similar names, each fishing boat must display Port Registration Letters. The style of these letters varies depending on the Country that issues them, but they usually take the form of a letter code that identifies the port or administrative area, and a number that identifies the individual boat. Some Countries reissue the same number when it becomes free after the loss or scrapping of a vessel, while others issue unique numbers to each new boat that is registered. The general principles are similar to those in various Countries for motor vehicle number plates. This list contains Port Registration Letters mainly for European countries, and includes registration letters that are no longer in current use, but may be of historic interest in identifying old photographs. Some ports exist only as an administrative area and may issue registration letters although there is no local fishing fleet. For example, the port of Banff in Scotland is so small that no seagoing commercial ship could enter it, but the registration letters BF, which, like all British registration letters, are issued by a centralised national office, are used by many of the big trawlers working from the harbours of North East Scotland. |
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Last updated on 08 August 2004 |
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List of Fishing Ports and their
Registration Letters
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Letters |
Port |
Country |
Notes |
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A |
Aberdeen |
Scotland |
Important fishing port,
but the main maritime business is offshore oil support. Excellent photo views
for boats entering and leaving the harbour, but poor vantage points for
quayside photos. Most of the Scottish East Coast fishing boats are further
north at Peterhead and Fraserburgh. (July 2003) |
|
A |
Akershus |
Norway |
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A |
Aalborg |
Denmark |
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A |
Antwerp |
Belgium |
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AA |
Aabenraa |
Denmark |
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AA |
Alloa |
Scotland |
There is no fishing trade
here, and only a few small boats use these registration letters (June 2003) |
|
AA |
Aust - Agder |
Norway |
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AA |
Westeraccumersiel |
Germany |
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AB |
Aberystwyth |
Wales |
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AB |
Bensersiel |
Germany |
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ABH |
Bremerhaven |
Germany |
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AC |
Arcachon |
France |
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AC |
Calolinensie |
Germany |
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ACC |
Accumerseil |
Germany |
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AD |
Ardrossan |
Scotland |
Commercial port in the
Firth of Clyde. Most boats use the BA Ballantrae registration |
|
AD |
Audierne |
France |
|
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AD |
Langeoog |
Germany |
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AE |
Emden |
Germany |
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AF |
Friesdrichs Schleusses |
Germany |
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AG |
Greetseil |
Germany |
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AH |
Angra do Heroismo |
Portugal |
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AH |
Arbroath |
Scotland |
Only a few boats now use
the harbour, most landings are at Aberdeen, Peterhead and Fraserburgh. The
town is famous for producing smoked haddock (September 2003) |
|
AH |
Ditzum |
Germany |
|
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AI |
Akureyri |
Iceland |
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AJ |
Juist |
Germany |
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AK |
Andijk |
Netherlands |
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AL |
Albufeira |
Portugal |
Small boats can be found
on the beaches all along the coast (May 1983) |
|
AL |
Algeciras |
Spain |
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AL |
Ameland |
Netherlands |
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AL |
Langeoog |
Germany |
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AL |
Leer |
Germany |
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ALK |
Alkmaar |
Netherlands |
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AM |
Almeria |
Spain |
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AM |
Amsterdam |
Netherlands |
The Maritime Museum has a
preserved fishing boat (October 1997) |
|
AM |
Leerort |
Germany |
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AN |
Ancora |
Portugal |
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AN |
Norderney |
Germany |
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AO |
Oldersum |
Germany |
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AQ |
Retzmarsiel |
Germany |
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AR |
Arnes Syssel |
Iceland |
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AR |
Ayr |
Scotland |
The fish market here
closed in 1997 and the boats moved a few miles north to Troon. Boats also use
Girvan, to the south of Ayr. |
|
AR |
Rhaudermoor |
Germany |
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ARC |
Arcachon |
France |
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ARM |
Arnemuiden |
Netherlands |
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ARN |
Arnis |
Germany |
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AS |
Aarhus |
Denmark |
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AS |
Spickeroog |
Germany |
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AS |
Ahus |
Sweden |
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ASS |
Assel |
Germany |
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AT |
Alicante |
Spain |
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AT |
Terborg |
Germany |
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AU |
Audierne |
France |
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AU |
Baltrum |
Germany |
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AV |
Aveiro |
Portugal |
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AV |
Avenhorn |
Netherlands |
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AV |
Norden |
Germany |
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AW |
Aengwirden |
Netherlands |
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AW |
Wilhelmshaven |
Germany |
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AX |
Borkum |
Germany |
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AY |
Norddeich |
Germany |
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AY |
Auray |
France |
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AZ |
Neuharlingsersiel |
Germany |
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B |
Belfast |
Northern Ireland |
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B |
Blankenburg |
Belgium |
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BA |
Ballantrae |
Scotland |
Another tiny and little
used harbour, but the BA registration letters are carried by many of the West
Coast fishing boats |
|
BA |
Bayonne |
France |
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BA |
Barcelona |
Spain |
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BA |
Bardastradn Syssel |
Iceland |
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BB |
Bremen |
Germany |
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BCK |
Buckie |
Scotland |
Busy fishing port. Good
views of the boats and there is also the Buckie Drifter Fisheries Museum
(October 2003) |
|
BD |
Bideford |
England |
A shallow tidal estuary
with only a few small boats, but the port also includes Appledore, with its
excellent maritime museum and the picturesque village of Clovelly, once
famous for its herring boats. Barnstaple and Bideford both have 12-16
foot salmon boats that carry registration letters (August 2004) |
|
BD |
Buskerud |
Norway |
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BE |
Barnstaple |
England |
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BEI |
Beidenfleth |
Germany |
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BEN |
Bensersiel |
Germany |
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BF |
Banff |
Scotland |
Tiny harbour, but
registration port for many Scottish fishing boats. The adjacent port of
Macduff is a major repair yard for fishing boats and also has a Marine
Aquarium (October 2003) |
|
BH |
Blyth |
England |
|
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BH |
Brouwershaven |
Netherlands |
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BI |
Bilbao |
Spain |
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BIN |
Bingum |
Germany |
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BK |
Berwick on Tweed |
England |
Not many boats in the
town of Berwick on Tweed, but a variety of boats can be seen in coastal
villages such as Seahouses, Amble and Newbiggen (1998) |
|
BL |
Boulogne |
France |
Many fishing boats use
the quays close to the town centre |
|
BL |
Bristol |
England |
|
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BM |
Brixham |
England |
Fishing
port, a major marina for pleasure boats, and a busy tourist area. |
|
BN |
Boston |
England |
|
|
BO |
Borrowstoness |
Scotland |
Its actually pronounced
Bo-ness. There are no fishing boats here |
|
BOG |
Borgerende |
Germany |
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BON |
Bongsiel |
Germany |
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BOR |
Borkum |
Germany |
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BOU |
Bouchoute |
Belgium |
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BR |
Barreiro |
Portugal |
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BR |
Bridgewater |
England |
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BR |
Breskens |
Netherlands |
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BR |
Brest |
France |
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BRA |
Brake |
Germany |
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BRD |
Broadford |
Skye, Scotland |
This is a tiny harbour
with no fishing fleet. A few fishing boats can be found at Uig, Portree,
Dunvegan and Kyleakin. Skye is no longer an island - there is a bridge to the
mainland. (5/2001) |
|
BRE |
Bremen |
Germany |
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BRO |
Brokdorf |
Germany |
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BRU |
Brunsbuttelkoog |
Germany |
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BRU |
Bruinisse |
Netherlands |
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BS |
Beaumaris |
Wales |
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BU |
Bunschoten |
Netherlands |
|
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BU |
Burntisland |
Scotland |
Another harbour with few
fishing boats. There are a some small boats at nearby Kinghorn (2001) |
|
BUR |
Burgstaaken Burhaversiel |
Germany |
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BUS |
Busum |