The United Kingdom has secured 2023 fishing catch limits worth GBP 202 million (USD 244.9 million, EUR 233.8 million), a GBP 33 million (USD 40 million, EUR 38.2 million) increase from 2022, after reaching an agreement with Norway and the European Union, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed.
The U.K. negotiated in the trilateral talks as an independent coastal state, and reached agreed catch levels for 2023 for six important fish stocks in the North Sea – including North Sea cod, haddock, and herring.
The agreement comes as the country concluded negotiations on catch limits with coastal states in the Northeast Atlantic on three more key stocks to the U.K. fishing fleet – blue whiting, mackerel, and Atlanto-Scandian herring. In total, the U.K. quotas in these stocks will be worth around GBP 256 million (USD 310.3 million, EUR 296.3 million) to its fishing industry in 2023.
All catch levels were set in line with, or lower than, the level advised by scientists at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
U.K. Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer said the agreements with the E.U. and Norway, and wider coastal states, would be worth over GBP 450 million (USD 545.5 million, EUR 520.9 million) for the U.K. fishing fleet in 2023.
“The deals will help support a sustainable, profitable fishing industry for years to come, while continuing to protect our marine environment and vital fishing grounds,” he said.
Compared to 2022, the new North Sea catch level for cod has increased 63 percent to 21,652 metric tons (MT). The quota for haddock increased to 58,402 MT, or 30 percent; plaice increased to132,922 MT, or 5.8 percent; saithe increased to 53,374 MT, or 18.7 percent; and whiting increased to 34,294 MT, or 30 percent.
The 2023 herring quota of 396,556 MT is down 7.3 percent compared with 2022.
Scotland Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said the action taken to protect North Sea stocks in recent years has paid off – leading the way to increased access for Scotland’s fishers.
“These stocks are of key commercial importance to Scotland and the increase in cod is a result of Scottish fishers' efforts on recovery,” she said. “That is good news for Scotland’s fishers, who will have access to considerably greater whitefish quotas this year, with a positive economic effect for our fishing communities.”
The trilateral deal’s value to Scotland is estimated to be worth GBP 128 million (USD 155.2 million, EUR 148.2 million), up from GBP 97 million (USD 117.6 million, EUR 112.3 million) in 2022.
In November 2022, the United Kingdom reached an agreement with Norway, with the U.K. fleet benefiting from fishing opportunities worth GBP 5 million (USD 6.1 million, EUR 5.8 million). Some U.K. fishing companies have criticized the deal, saying it only benefits companies in Scotland, and does not benefit the English fleet.
Further talks with the E.U. are continuing over the total allowable catches (TACs) and other stock management measures.
Photo courtesy of Conny Pokorny/Shutterstock
