The Government has today set provisional catch
limits for UK-EU shared fish stocks for the remainder of
2021, or until an agreement is reached with the EU.
Today’s announcement follows the Government’s commitment to
extend provisional catch limits for the rest of the year if
agreement on fishing opportunities with the EU had not been
reached by 14 April. The EU recently announced their intention to
extend their provisional catch limits until 31 July.
The UK remains committed to working closely with the EU on the
sustainable management of shared stocks and to seeking an
agreement on outstanding fisheries issues for 2021. If catch
limits are agreed with the EU then these will be updated
accordingly.
The provisional catch limits for UK vessels set today are
consistent with the approach and new quota shares outlined in the
UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. While differences remain
between the two parties, these catch limits reflect progress in
negotiations up to this point.
The full details of the new provisional catch limits for 2021 can
be found in the updated provisional
determination.
The determination also includes footnotes and special conditions
for UK vessels which set provisional rules on use of quota and
allows for quotas to be transferred between certain fishing areas
(inter-area flexibilities). These will remain subject to review
and may be adjusted if appropriate.
The exchange or ‘swap’ of fishing quota is a usual feature of
annual discussions between coastal States. The UK remains open to
exchanges with the EU for 2021 and both parties will continue to
explore the benefits of these swaps for their fishing industries.
The Government has also set out how additional fishing quota
gained since leaving the EU will be allocated to the English
fishing fleet. Further details on the new allocation method is
outlined in the Government response to the
English additional quota consultation published today.
