- The UK has secured a further £282 million in fishing
opportunities for the UK fishing industry in 2023 after reaching
a deal with the EU
- This brings the total UK fishing opportunities secured across
the three main negotiating forums to £750 million, £34 million
more than 2022
- Long-term sustainability remains at the heart of the UK’s
negotiating position, with catch levels informed using the latest
scientific advice
The UK fishing industry will
benefit from 140,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities worth over
£280 million in 2023 after the UK today (20 December 2022)
reached an agreement with the EU. This brings the total value of
fishing opportunities secured for the UK fleet in 2023 in the
three main negotiation forums to £750 million, a £34 million
increase from last year.
In the third year of annual
fisheries negotiations with the UK operating as an independent
coastal state, the UK and EU yesterday agreed catch levels for 69
important fish stocks. This included some of the most
commercially valuable stocks to the UK fishing industry such as
North Sea Nephrops (£54m), Anglerfish (£31m) and Western hake
(£25m).
Throughout the negotiations,
the UK Government has worked closely with the devolved
administrations to ensure fishing communities across the UK will
benefit from the agreement. The Scottish industry, for
example, will benefit from improved catch levels for North Sea
stocks including cod, hake, whiting and
Nephrops.
The agreement also commits the
UK and EU to work together to provide more sustainable fisheries
management.
Fisheries Minister
said:
“Our agreement with the EU
secures valuable fishing opportunities for the UK fishing
industry while cementing our joint commitment to manage fisheries
sustainably.
“These decisions are based on
the latest scientific advice to help protect key fish stocks with
the long term health of the marine environment at the forefront
of our minds.
“We are backing the fishing
industry across the country to succeed, with a landmark £100m
investment in infrastructure, skills and better scientific data
so that our fishing industry thrives for generations to
come.”
This latest deal follows an
agreement with the UK, EU and
Norway on six North Sea fish stocks including cod,
haddock and herring worth £202m to the UK fishing industry, and a
further £11 million in stocks in other waters around the UK.
In the same week, the UK
secured catch limits worth a further £256 million with the North
East Atlantic coastal States, while an agreement with Norway last
month will see the UK fishing industry benefit from fishing
opportunities worth £5 million in 2023.
Sustainability has been at the
heart of the UK’s approach to all the negotiations to ensure key
fish stocks are protected and to support the long-term viability
of the UK fishing industry. Wherever possible, catch levels have
been set in line with, or lower than, the level advised by
scientists at the International Council for the Exploration of
the Sea (ICES), and there is an estimated 13% increase in catch
levels that align with ICES advice compared to last
year.
The outcome of annual fisheries
negotiations will be published in the Secretary of State
determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats
by the end of the year.
The UK has also started
negotiations with the Faroe Islands on exchanges of fishing
opportunities for 2023.
£100m UK Seafood
Fund
The UK fishing industry is
currently receiving a significant funding investment from the UK
Government to help modernise its facilities, train and upskill
fishermen, and invest in better scientific research on key fish
stocks.
Last month, Defra announced £20
million from the UK Seafood Fund had been awarded to expand
processing facilities for popular British fish like Scottish
salmon, mackerel and herring. A further £30 million is now
available for infrastructure projects in the latest round of
funding open for bids.
Last week, five pioneering
research projects were awarded
over £3.5 million through the Fisheries Industry Science
Partnership (FISP) scheme to gather vital evidence to inform how
we manage our fisheries and protect marine habitats across the
UK. Almost 30 projects have received funding through FISP so far,
and the fourth and final round opened earlier this month, running
until midday on 19 January 2022.
Notes to
Editor:
- A full assessment on the number of individual Total Allowable
Catches set consistent with ICES advice will be published on the
conclusion of all the UK’s annual fisheries negotiations.
- More information on the UK Seafood Fund can be found on
GOV UK.
