The European Union, Norway, and the United Kingdom have reached a trilateral agreement for 2022 on jointly managed fisheries stocks in the North Sea, covering more than 683,000 metric tons (MT) of fish.
Following a month of negotiations, the three parties signed an agreement on 10 December allowing for the joint management of cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, plaice, and herring stocks.
The agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) includes a rollover for cod, following the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) advice for saithe and plaice, and a decision by the three parties to not use the full advice for haddock and whiting in order to protect cod in mixed fisheries.
As a result, the increase for haddock will be 5 percent, and for whiting, it will be 25 percent, despite much higher scientific advice for both stocks, the European Commission stated in a press release. The same applies to herring where, despite an advice for 46 percent, the parties decided to limit the TAC increase to 20 percent.
The parties also agreed to continue implementing a range of additional measures to protect North Sea cod, such as area closures and to prioritize control, including enhanced cooperation on control in a trilateral setting.
In parallel, the E.U. and Norway have concluded bilateral consultations for shared stocks in the North Sea, Skagerrak, and quota exchanges, the Commission said.
According to the U.K. government, the agreed catch levels for next year provide fishing opportunities estimated to be worth around GBP 190 million (USD 251.9 million, EUR 223.3 million) to the U.K. fishing industry, based on historic landing prices.
“We are proud to have led discussion to a positive conclusion as we seek to set a gold standard for the entire fishing industry,” U.K. Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis said. “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.”
Photo courtesy of Conny Pokorny/Shutterstock
