EU-UK: fisheries negotiations concluded. Sinkevicius (Commission), “good agreement. It provides predictability and continuity for our fleets”

The negotiations between the EU and the UK on a fisheries agreement establishing “the total allowable catches for 75 shared fish stocks for 2021, as well as for some deep-sea stocks” have been concluded. The agreement secures the fishing rights of both the EU and the UK fleets in both the EU and the UK waters until the end of 2021, as foreseen under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. It also provides clarity on access limits for non-quota species. “This agreement provides predictability and continuity for our fleets”, said Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius, who led the negotiations with the UK Environment Secretary George Eustice. “This is good for fishermen and women, our coastal communities and our ports, as well as for the sustainable use of our marine resources”, he added, stressing that the “two partners on both sides of the Channel can find agreements and move forward if they work together”. The agreement is based on the best available scientific advice on the state of fish stocks, as provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, a statement from Brussels reads. It also takes into account important sustainability and management principles which are central to both the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy and to the fisheries provisions of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Valentina Bombelli