Following the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK, new fishing licences were issued buy the MMO on New Year’s Eve 2020, intended to ensure minimal disruption to fishing at the end of the transition period from the EU.
The MMO and other UK fishing administrations issued amended licences for UK vessels, allowing them access to fish in all UK waters.
To fish in other countries’ waters, a separate external waters licence is required. The Agreement allowed the UK Single Issuing Authority (UK SIA) and the EU equivalent body to issue licences enabling UK and EU vessels to fish in each other’s waters between the 12–200 nautical mile limits.
Licences to fish in each other’s 6–12 nautical mile zones will be issued once the eligibility criteria has been confirmed.
Negotiations continue to agree access to Norwegian, Faroes and other coastal states’ and regional fisheries management organisations’ (RFMO) waters. Until these are concluded, UK vessels have no access to these waters and Norwegian and Faroese vessels may not fish in UK waters.
