The outcome of the Fisheries Council in Brussels has led to significant increases in quotas for the UK fleet next year, which has been welcomed by UK fisheries minister, George Eustice.
Highlights for UK fishing quotas include a rise of +100% Plaice in the English Channel, +15% Cod, +47% Haddock in the North Sea, +20% Hake in the Celtic Sea and +15% Sole in the Western Channel.
The minister said; “Where we could bring fresh science to the table we were also able to lobby against unjustifiable, precautionary cuts and instead ensured quotas were looked at on a case-by-case basis to provide more stability for fishermen.”
“By fighting for the fishing industry, and making a clear case for the need for more sustainable fishing, we have got a good deal and shown we can get what we need in Europe. That’s just what we’re also doing in this European renegotiation – fighting hard for the UK,” he said.
He pointed out that the UK still has much more to do to reach Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) for all quota species by 2020 and to deliver the full discard ban by 2019, but already fishermen are benefitting from the action we’ve taken in recent years to recover stocks.
In some cases there will still be some reductions in quota, including decreases for Nephrops (Langoustines) in the North Sea. Fisheries restrictions were also agreed to aid the recovery of sea bass stocks which have suffered from a long-term decline.
The UK also successfully negotiated a number of further concessions to include days at sea kept at 2015 levels rather than reduced and maintaining 2015 quotas for a number of stocks, including Plaice in the Irish Sea and Monkfish, Skates and Rays, Pollock in the Celtic Sea.
