Europe and the United Kingdom reach agreement on fishing rights in shared fish stocks for the third time since Brexit. For the third time since Brexit, the European Union and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement on the fishing permitted in the stocks they share with each other. The agreement covers more than 74 fish stocks and gives the European fleet the prospect of catching more than 350,000 tonnes of fish by 2023, representing a market value of around 1 billion euros.
The UK and EU countries each have their own waters, but fish stocks are of little concern. The agreement provides for catch limits for the shared stocks, and also regulates access to each other’s waters for the catch of albacore tuna.
The agreements made must ensure the conservation of the different species. To this end, London and Brussels rely on the International Council for the exploration of the sea (ICES), an intergovernmental scientific advisory body. For three stocks, including sprat in the North Sea, additional negotiations have to follow because the advice does not follow the calendar year.
