Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Bjørnar Skjæran has voiced his satisfaction with the new bilateral agreement between Norway and the UK, providing mutual access to fishing in each other’s zones and quotas for 2023.
Bjørnar Skjæran commented that the agreement gives Norwegian fishermen stability.
‘The negotiations have taken place in a positive atmosphere, have been effective, and show that our relationship with Great Britain is close and strong,’ he said.
The 2023 agreement is a continuation of this year’s agreement, and is designed so that the parties have access to fish up to 30,000 tonnes in the other party’s zone in the North Sea in 2023.
It was also agreed that Norwegian vessels can fish up to 20,000 tonnes of their North Sea herring quota in British zone against British vessels being able to fish up to 20,000 tonnes of their quota for Atlanto-Scandian herring in the Norwegian zone. The parties have agreed a limited quota exchange to safeguard traditional Norwegian fishing in the British zone further west than the North Sea.
‘For the whitefish fleet, there is now a good outcome in place for both parties, and in the pelagic sector we have also gained better access to fishing North Sea herring than we had this year,’ the Minister said, commenting that it is important for Norway to continue to develop a good relationship with Great Britain in fisheries.
He added that as Norway and Britain often have similar views concerning marine management, this makes the two countries natural partners.
