Fishing Ports and Port Registration Letters

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.

Last updated on 08 August 2004

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List of Fishing Ports and their Registration Letters

Letters	Port	Country	Notes
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
A	Aalborg	Denmark
A	Antwerp	Belgium
AA	Aabenraa	Denmark
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
AA	Westeraccumersiel	Germany
AB	Aberystwyth	Wales
AB	Bensersiel	Germany
ABH	Bremerhaven	Germany
AC	Arcachon	France
AC	Calolinensie	Germany
ACC	Accumerseil	Germany
AD	Ardrossan	Scotland	Commercial port in the Firth of Clyde. Most boats use the BA Ballantrae registration
AD	Audierne	France
AD	Langeoog	Germany
AE	Emden	Germany
AF	Friesdrichs Schleusses	Germany
AG	Greetseil	Germany
AH	Angra do Heroismo	Portugal
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
AI	Akureyri	Iceland
AJ	Juist	Germany
AK	Andijk	Netherlands
AL	Albufeira	Portugal	Small boats can be found on the beaches all along the coast (May 1983)
AL	Algeciras	Spain
AL	Ameland	Netherlands
AL	Langeoog	Germany
AL	Leer	Germany
ALK	Alkmaar	Netherlands
AM	Almeria	Spain
AM	Amsterdam	Netherlands	The Maritime Museum has a preserved fishing boat (October 1997)
AM	Leerort	Germany
AN	Ancora	Portugal
AN	Norderney	Germany
AO	Oldersum	Germany
AQ	Retzmarsiel	Germany
AR	Arnes Syssel	Iceland
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
ARC	Arcachon	France
ARM	Arnemuiden	Netherlands
ARN	Arnis	Germany
AS	Aarhus	Denmark
AS	Spickeroog	Germany
AS	Ahus	Sweden
ASS	Assel	Germany
AT	Alicante	Spain
AT	Terborg	Germany
AU	Audierne	France
AU	Baltrum	Germany
AV	Aveiro	Portugal
AV	Avenhorn	Netherlands
AV	Norden	Germany
AW	Aengwirden	Netherlands
AW	Wilhelmshaven	Germany
AX	Borkum	Germany
AY	Norddeich	Germany
AY	Auray	France
AZ	Neuharlingsersiel	Germany
B	Belfast	Northern Ireland
B	Blankenburg	Belgium
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
BA	Barcelona	Spain
BA	Bardastradn Syssel	Iceland
BB	Bremen	Germany
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
BE	Barnstaple	England
BEI	Beidenfleth	Germany
BEN	Bensersiel	Germany
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
BH	Brouwershaven	Netherlands
BI	Bilbao	Spain
BIN	Bingum	Germany
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
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
BON	Bongsiel	Germany
BOR	Borkum	Germany
BOU	Bouchoute	Belgium
BR	Barreiro	Portugal
BR	Bridgewater	England
BR	Breskens	Netherlands
BR	Brest	France
BRA	Brake	Germany
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
BRO	Brokdorf	Germany
BRU	Brunsbuttelkoog	Germany
BRU	Bruinisse	Netherlands
BS	Beaumaris	Wales
BU	Bunschoten	Netherlands
BU	Burntisland	Scotland	Another harbour with few fishing boats. There are a some small boats at nearby Kinghorn (2001)
BUR	Burgstaaken Burhaversiel	Germany
BUS	Busum