The European Union and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement on the fishing opportunities for 2022, covering all shared and jointly-managed fisheries resources in UK and EU waters.
This agreement is the outcome of the annual consultations on fishing opportunities between the EU and the UK under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which took place between 11 November and 20 December 2021.
The agreement on the management of shared stocks secures the fishing rights of the EU and the UK fleets in those waters until the end of 2022, as foreseen under the TCA. It also establishes the total allowable catches (TAC) for 65 shared fish stocks for 2022.
According to the European Commission, the agreement is based on the best available scientific advice regarding the state of fish stocks, provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
It takes into account sustainability and management principles, such as maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and the precautionary approach, which are central to the EU’s common fisheries policy (CFP) and to the fisheries provisions of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the Commission said.
“Overall, the agreement creates certainty for fishing communities in both the EU and the UK, cements the sustainable use of marine living resources and establishes a strong basis for continued EU-UK cooperation in the area of fisheries,” it said.
The agreement also commits the UK and the EU to rapidly develop multi-year strategies for non-quota species.
The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the new catch limits provide around 140,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities for the UK fleet, estimated to be worth around £313 million.
“As an independent coastal State, we entered discussions representing the interests of the entire UK fishing industry and have secured certainty for the incoming year,” UK Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said.
Eustice added that the agreement “provides a strong foundation as we seek to deliver more sustainable fisheries management, as set out in our landmark Fisheries Act”.
The agreement with the EU also provides a commitment, via the Specialised Committee on Fisheries established under the TCA, to hold constructive discussions on specific issues relating to fisheries management. The committee’s focus in the first-half of 2022 will be:
- A permanent mechanism for in-year quota exchanges
- Development of multi-year strategies for non-quota species
- Reviewing existing measures permitting quota flexibility
- Working with ICES on a range of issues (including biological stock – TAC management area alignment issues, stocks without ICES advice, considering how to better manage mixed fisheries making use of ICES advice and seeking to improve the ICES catch allocation tool for seabass)
- Interpretation of ICES advice on skates and rays
- Reviewing data collection and sharing
This is the second time in which the UK has participated in negotiations with the EU as an independent coastal State, following the signing of the TCA between the UK and EU in 2020.
