The European Union, Norway and the UK have reached agreement on next year’s management of shared fish stocks in the North Sea.
The agreement has secured access for the EU fleet to 343,000 tonnes of cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, plaice and herring, with an estimated value of more than €600 million. This arrangement secures valuable fishing opportunities and provides visibility for the EU fleet for the coming year.
A new management approach for North Sea herring has been agreed, which incorporates a long-term management strategy for the stock and a package of management measures that will help ensure the sustainability of herring fisheries in the North Sea and the Skagerrak-Kattegat. In relation to this, the EU has secured an additional ten-year access to UK waters for the Skagerrak herring fleets. This arrangement, together with forthcoming area-based measures, is seen as support the recovery of the depleted Western Baltic herring stock.
The agreement also includes remedial measures to support the Northern shelf cod stock recovery to sustainable levels, such as new and extended seasonal closures and enhanced real-time-closures.
All total allowable catches (TACs) were set in line with the maximum sustainable yield.
The EU, Norway and the UK also agreed to continue cooperating on monitoring, control and surveillance, developing best practices and measures to strengthen compliance and ensure a level playing field.
