The UK’s first major piece of fisheries legislation in nearly forty years has passed the House of Lords and has now entered the House of Commons for further scrutiny.
The flagship Fisheries Bill, designed to create powers for the UK to operate as an independent coastal state and manage its fish stocks outside the EU has been introduced to the House of Commons for its First Reading.
The Bill which passed Third Reading in the Lords on 1st July ends current automatic rights for EU vessels to fish in British waters. If access to UK waters for foreign vessels is negotiated, the Bill will also enable the Fisheries Administrations to ensure that foreign vessels follow the same rules as UK vessels.
“I am encouraged to see the progress of the Fisheries Bill through Parliament. This Bill offers us the opportunity to set a gold standard for sustainable fisheries and gives us the powers to protect our precious fish stocks while enabling our seafood sector to thrive,” said Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis.
“Now that we have left the EU, we have the opportunity to create a more resilient and profitable fishing industry, leaving behind the outdated Common Fisheries Policy.”
The government is now considering the amendments made during the Bill’s passage in the House of Lords.
The Bill’s provisions on sustainable fishing will be underpinned by the requirement for the UK government and the Devolved Administrations to publish a Joint Fisheries Statement to co-ordinate fisheries management where appropriate, and Fisheries Management plans to achieve sustainable stocks.
