“We must have access to Norwegian waters now!” demands Danish fisheries

Danish fishermen have gotten off to a bad start in 2021, writes the Danish Fish Producers Organisation. 

The trade agreement between the EU and the UK at Christmas 2020 will cost the fishery up to DKK 1.5 billion (€201.6 million) in lost fishing quotas. At the same time, the protracted negotiations meant that no agreement has been reached between the EU and Norway on fishing by 2021, and therefore the Danish fisheries have not yet been given access to be able to fish in Norwegian waters.

Today, Monday, EU fisheries ministers will meet to discuss fishing opportunities in 2021, and action is urgently needed in relation to the lack of access to Norwegian waters.

“In my time as chairman, I have not experienced anything like this. First, we will lose fishing quotas of more than one billion kroner due to the Brexit agreement, and now we cannot not be allowed to catch our fish at our traditional fishing grounds in Norwegian waters due to the same agreement. I’m simply out of words. Let us now be allowed to fish, and it can only go too slowly. For every day that passes, Danish fisheries lose important income,” says Svend-Erik Andersen, chairman of the Danish Fisheries Association PO.

Access to Norwegian waters is of great importance to ensure sustainable fishing. A large part of the total Danish catch is taken in Norwegian waters, and it can unfortunately be felt in the Jutland port communities that there has not been access to Norwegian waters since the turn of the year. This unfortunate situation comes at the worst possible time, as fisheries are already struggling with the corona crisis and the cost of the Brexit agreement. That is why the call for Fisheries Minister Rasmus Prehn and the European Commission is clear.