EU and UK agree on fishing opportunities for 2024 worth €1 billion for EU fleet covering more than 85 TACs in the Northeast Atlantic
The European Union and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement on fishing opportunities for 2024, covering more than 85 Total Allowable Catches (TACs) in the Northeast Atlantic.
The aim of this collaborative effort to ensure sustainable fish stock management, stability, and predictability for fleets and operators on both sides.
The deal secures fishing opportunities totalling nearly 388,000 tonnes for the EU fleet, with an estimated value of around €1 billion based on historic wholesale prices, adjusted for inflation. This agreement assumes paramount importance as the negotiated stocks with non-EU countries represent a vast majority of the stocks of interest for the EU.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries, emphasised the significance of the agreement. He stated:
“The agreement we reached will secure fishing opportunities for fishermen on both sides of the Channel, Irish Sea, and North Sea. It takes into account the sustainability of stocks and the socioeconomic impact for fishermen, providing protection for our ocean and certainty for our fishermen. The agreement establishes a strong basis to continue cooperating in fisheries management with the UK.”
The agreement, facilitated under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), follows the fourth annual consultations on fishing opportunities between both parties. Negotiations were guided by the best available scientific advice on fish stock status, incorporating socioeconomic considerations to prevent choke situations leading to premature fishery closures.
Member States played a crucial role in supporting the conclusion of this agreement, and the close cooperation between the EU and the UK in the Specialized Committee on Fisheries (SCF) contributed significantly. SCF recommendations included the alignment of management areas with stock distributions for eight shared stocks and the development of a joint methodology for interpreting ICES advice for skates and rays.
The agreed catch limits will now be submitted for incorporation into the Fishing Opportunities Regulation for 2024 during the Council of EU Fisheries Ministers on December 10 and 11, 2023. In-year consultations during 2024 are planned for three other jointly managed stocks: sandeel (North Sea, all banks), sprat (North Sea and the English Channel), and Norway pout, for which ICES scientific advice does not align with the calendar year.
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) establishes jointly-managed EU-UK stocks, necessitating annual consultations for establishing catch limits. The TCA outlines respective shares of these stocks and provides for reciprocal access for the fleets of both parties to each other’s waters, along with mutual access to fish non-quota stocks at historic fishing levels.
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