An agreement for the joint management in 2022 of six North Sea stocks has been signed by Norway, the European Union and the UK.
Catch levels for five of the six stocks have been set in line with, or below, the level advised by ICES. This means a rollover for cod, maintaining the historically low 13,246 tonne quota, haddock up by 5%, herring by 20% and whiting by 25%, while plaice is down 12% and saithe is down 24% to a 44,950 tonne quota.
‘I am pleased to announce we have concluded trilateral negotiations between the UK, EU and Norway,’ said UK Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis. Fishing opportunities are reckoned to be worth £190 for the UK industry, and the minister predicted this would provide certainty and stability for the industry ahead of the new year.
‘We are proud to have led discussion to a positive conclusion as we seek to set a gold standard for the entire fishing industry. We are confident that this agreement has struck a balance that will benefit both our fishing industry and ensure our marine environment is healthy and viable long into the future.’
The outcome was also welcomed by Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord.
‘As an independent coastal state the UK has agreed catch levels that provide opportunities estimated to be worth around £190 million to our fishing industry,’ he said.
‘I welcome the outcome of these negotiations as they provide certainty and stability for fishermen in Scotland and the rest of the UK while championing sustainability.’
Negotiations took place in London and Edinburgh, and were chaired by the UK, which is currently negotiating bilateral agreements for 2022 with the Faroe Islands and with Norway.
The three parties will also continue with closed spawning grounds at the beginning of 2022. In addition, Norway will close areas in the Norwegian zone to protect small cod later in 2022, as part of stock rebuilding.
‘I understand that 2022 will be a demanding year for Norwegian fishermen, but it is unfortunately necessary to take care of the cod stock in the North Sea,’ said Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Marine Affairs Bjørnar Skjæran.
Norway has also signed bilateral quota agreements with the EU on the North Sea, Skagerrak, in addition to the neighbourhood agreement with the EU on Sweden. Under this Norway agrees with the EU on access to fishing in each other’s zones and quota exchanges.
‘I am very pleased that we have now reached an agreement. This agreement lays the foundation for the bilateral agreements,’ Bjørnar Skjæran said.
‘The relationship with the EU has a long tradition, but it became problematic this year because much of what Norway had received in exchange with the EU has been fished in the British zone. Although much has changed since Brexit, it is important for us to get these agreements in place. Not least for Norwegian fishermen, so that fishing can start on 1st January,’ he said and commented that with quota exchange in place with the EU, Norwegian fishing vessels can start fishing on the quotas Norway has exchanged for Greenland, shrimp, blue halibut and redfish, and in the EU zone for blue whiting.
‘In addition, we have exchanged a capelin quota of 69,623 tonnes. In the swap agreement, the EU has been given a cod quota in Norway’s economic zone off mainland Norway of 10,215 tonnes,’ he said.
