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The Danish Fisheries Association has welcomed the EU-Norway fisheries agreement for 2023 which finally allows access to Norwegian waters
The EU-Norway agreement on the fishing opportunities for 2023 means that finally Danish fishermen can once again fish in Norwegian waters, much to the delight of the Danish Fisheries Association, which has fought hard to secure access for their members.
Danish fishermen have been without the opportunity to fish in Norwegian waters in the North Sea and Skagerrak since the turn of the year. This has made it difficult to fish, and created congestion in the other waters, where Danish vessels, together with vessels from the other EU countries, have been fishing together. Now the EU and Norway have finally agreed on a fishing agreement for 2023 which ensures that Danish fishermen will once again have access to Norwegian waters. A great relief for the chairman of the Danish Fisheries Association, Svend-Erik Andersen.
“I am very relieved that we finally get access to fishing in Norwegian waters again here in 2023 and thus can really get started on this year’s fishing. It has been a tough few months for many fishermen, who have been costing the bottom line. Fortunately, the fishing opportunities in the North Sea and Skagerrak have improved significantly compared to last year, so I hope the fishermen can catch up,” says Svend-Erik Andersen.
However, the course of negotiations implies that Norway has paid well to get an agreement in place. It is frustrating with the Norwegian approach, but access is indispensable, and hopefully a better negotiating climate and a better result can be secured next year, says the Danish Fisheries Association.
“There is no doubt that Norway is going to the steel at the negotiating table, and the price for access is high. As time has passed, however, there is no way around it. Now we must instead use our efforts to ensure a better result for the EU’s fishermen in the coming years,” says Svend-Erik Andersen.
Historically difficult negotiations
The negotiations between the EU and Norway should have been concluded in good time before the turn of the year. But the negotiations went off the rails. The parties were very far apart, and the negotiations on the fisheries agreement gradually developed into a diplomatic crisis between the EU and Norway.
The Danish fishermen also paid the price for the disputes between the EU and Norway back in 2021, when the Danish fishermen only got access to the Norwegian zone on 16 March. Denmark’s Fisheries Association say they are tired of the Danish fishermen being taken hostage in a showdown between the EU and Norway, and they are calling for a solution to be drawn up that can ensure that the fishermen are guaranteed temporary access to each other’s waters from 01 January, regardless of whether an agreement is in place or not.
“It is unsustainable that we risk being in this situation again and again. We need to change the setup surrounding the negotiations so that they can be concluded in good time before 01 January or alternatively, a multi-year agreement on access alone can be made. Because it costs the fishermen dearly to lie still,” says Svend-Erik Andersen.
Source: Press Release
