The UK has agreed with the EU and Norway on fishing opportunities in the North Sea and surrounding water for 2025, paving the way for 300,000 tons of fishing opportunities in the North Sea and surrounding waters.

The agreement secures UK quotas worth up to £310 million (US$396 million) on six fish stocks, including cod, haddock, herring, plaice, saithe and whiting. 

Fisheries minister Daniel Zeichner says: “This government will always stand up for the British fishing industry, which is the lifeblood of so many communities around our coastline.”

“That’s why I’m pleased to have secured a deal providing the UK fleet quota for stocks including cod and haddock worth up to £310 million (US$396 million) while maintaining sustainable levels of stocks for the long-term health of our industry.”

The parties say they hope the agreement will support a sustainable and economically successful fishing sector.

Implementing catch limits

The UK government says sustainability was at the heart of its approach to negotiations, “pushing for decisions based on the best available science” to protect key stocks and support the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry.

The European Commission says it hopes the deal will provide predictability for the EU fleets in 2025.

“TACs [Total Allowable Catches] were set in line with ‘maximum sustainable yield’ - the highest amount of fish that can be taken from the environment without harming its ability to reproduce and sustain its population - for saithe, plaice and haddock, and below the MSY advice for North Sea whiting to cater for its interaction with cod and other demersal fisheries,” it says in a statement.

The parties have agreed to continue cooperating on monitoring, control and surveillance to improve compliance.

The catch limits agreed will be submitted for incorporation into the Fishing Opportunities Regulation for 2025 during the upcoming Council of EU fisheries ministers meeting next week.