The Fishery Protection Squadron is the largest front line squadron in the Royal Navy. With a small headquarters staff based in Portsmouth Naval Base, the Squadron comprises 4 River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels, 2 Castle Class Offshore Patrol Vessels and up to 4 Hunt Class Mine Counter Measures Vessels. The primary task of the Royal Navy, in its role of patrolling UK's Exclusive Economic Zone, is its involvement in the highly emotive and politically sensitive UK and European fishing industry.

The Royal Navy maintains a formal agreement with the DEFRA Fisheries Information Page for the provision of Fishery Protection in English, Welsh and Northern Irish waters. Legislation permits RN Boarding Officers (BOs) to conduct inspections of all British and foreign registered fishing vessels (FVs) operating within these waters and also permits the inspection of British registered fishing vessels in international waters. In 2003/04-contract year, the Squadron provided 908 patrol days and its boarding officers carried out over 1600 boardings and identified over 4000 FVs. Operating from both the River Class and Hunt MCMVs, BOs conduct a range of operations, both by day and night, to conduct routine inspections.

River Class
The River Class vessels are larger and more effective than the Island Class vessels they replaced. This is because it is expected that they will serve twice as many days at sea.
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Castle Class
These ships are dual role designed with the ability to carry out fishery protection and offshore patrols as well as being able to operate large helicopters such as the Sea King. One of the class has generally been on long term patrol duties off the Falkland Islands whilst the other forms part of the Fishery Protection Squadron.
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Hunt Class
The Hunt Class MCMVs are pivotal in the wider military utility of the FPS. In addition to fulfilling a large share of the routine patrolling, explosives experts on board are involved in the safe disposal of Second World War mines trawled up by fishermen.
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The P2000 boats are mainly used by the University Royal Naval Units (URNUs), although HMS Dasher and HMS Pursuer are currently on deployment in Cyprus.
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