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The UK has secured a £202 million catch limit for the UK fishing industry, an increase of £33 million on last year, Defra announced today (Friday 9 December), following an agreement with Norway and the EU.
Negotiating as an independent coastal state, the UK agreed catch levels for 2023 for six important fish stocks in the North Sea including North Sea cod, haddock and herring.
This comes as the UK also concluded negotiations with coastal states in the North East Atlantic on catch limits on three more key stocks for the UK fishing fleet – blue whiting, mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring. In total, the UK quota in these stocks will be worth around £256m to the UK fishing industry next year.
Sustainability is at the heart of the UK’s approach to these negotiations, pushing for decisions based on the best available science to ensure key fish stocks are protected and to support the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry. All catch levels were set at or below levels given by International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) scientists.
Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer said:
I am delighted that we have agreements with the EU and Norway and the wider coastal states to protect important fish stocks worth over £450 million for the UK fishing fleet in 2023.
These deals will help support a sustainable, profitable fishing industry for years to come while continuing to protect our marine environment and important fishing grounds.
The catch levels agreed for North Sea stocks for 2023 (compared to 2022) are:
- Cod +63%
- Haddock +30%
- Herring -7.3%
- Location +5.8%
- +18.7% with
- White color +30%
Last month, the UK reached an agreement with Norway, giving the UK fleet £5 million worth of fishing opportunities. Further negotiations are ongoing with the EU on total allowable catch and other stock management measures
Throughout the negotiations, the UK Government worked closely with the devolved administrations to ensure that fishing communities across the UK benefited from the agreement.
An assessment of individual TACs consistent with ICES advice will be published at the conclusion of the UK’s annual fisheries negotiations.
Notes to the editor:
- Together, the negotiations and negotiations of the coastal states with Norway and the EU are expected to make up 60% of the total monetary value of the quota stock negotiated at the three main negotiation forums.
- This tripartite agreement marks the conclusion of another agreement in a series of annual fisheries negotiations for 2023. The UK’s bilateral negotiations with Norway were concluded on 25 November, and bilateral consultations with the Faroe Islands are ongoing. Consultations are ongoing with the EU on TACs and management measures for the stocks concerned.
- This year, negotiations took place in Oslo, Brussels and virtually three rounds. Throughout the consultation the UK pushed for evidence-based and pragmatic decisions to provide fishing opportunities while promoting stock sustainability for the marine environment and industry.
- Each year, the UK agrees catch limits for mackerel, blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring (ASH) with the North East Atlantic coastal states. We agreed on ASH in October for 2023 and on 6 November on limits for mackerel and blue whiting. The TAC for each stock is set according to ICES advice. Negotiations are on for the arrangement of allotment of these shares.
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