For joint fish stocks: catch quotas are agreed by the European Union and Great Britain

For normal fish stocks
The European Union and Great Britain agree on fishing quotas

The European Union and the United Kingdom have signed an agreement in principle on fishing restrictions on shared fish stocks. The European Union Commission announced in the evening that the successful conclusion of the negotiations that started in January has created a solid basis for further cooperation in the field of fisheries.

So the agreement was reached during a telephone conversation between EU Commissioner for the Environment Virginius Sinkevicius and British Environment Minister George Eustice. Sinkevicius said the deal “proves that two partners on both sides of the English Channel can reach agreements and move forward if they work together”.

According to the information, the agreement sets a total fishing limit for 75 stocks by the end of 2021 and for certain stocks in the deep sea for 2021 and 2022. It will also provide clarification on access restrictions for species that are not subject to quotas. Sinkevicius commented that the agreement creates predictability and continuity for the rest of the year. It is beneficial for fishermen, coastal communities and ports, but is also beneficial for the sustainable use of marine resources. The agreement is expected to be signed in the coming days.

Together with Great Britain, the European Union manages large parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Fisheries has been the hardest part of the post-Brexit trade deal negotiations between the EU and the UK.

In mid-March, common fishing quotas were agreed for the first time since Brexit. At that time, the European Union, Great Britain and Norway ended their tripartite negotiations on the administration of the North Sea.