Negotiating as an independent coastal state, the United Kingdom has reached an agreement with Norway on fisheries access and quotas for 2022 through which both parties will permit some access to each other’s waters and to exchange a number of fish quotas in the North Sea and the Arctic.
According to the negotiators, the agreement on mutual access will allow the respective fleets more flexibility to target the stocks in the best condition throughout the fishing year.
Through the agreement, the UK fishing industry gains access to 30,000 tonnes of whitefish stocks in Norwegian waters, and vice versa.
Norway will allocate the UK 6,550 tonnes of cod around Svalbard. In total, this means the UK can fish over 7,000 tonnes of cod in the Arctic, estimated to be worth around £16 million. This is 1,500 tonnes more than in 2021, the UK Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed.
UK Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis said the agreement on fishing arrangements for 2022, including the establishment of a mutual North Sea waters access zone, will provide fishing opportunities for the UK fleet and ensures “a strong balance” that will benefit both the fishing industry and the protection of the marine environment.
“Norway is an extremely close partner of the UK, and we deeply value our relationship with them. We have a longstanding history of cooperation and collaboration and I look forward to building on this partnership in the years to come,” she said.
The two delegations have also agreed to ensure that relevant information and data is exchanged to promote effective fisheries management and control and enforcement efforts in the North Sea.
UK vessels wishing to fish in Norway waters in 2022 and with an allocation to do so will be able to apply for an external waters licence via the UK Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA), Defra advised.
