International fishing of shared or cross-boundary stocks has been one of the areas of unfinished business in Brexit, even though such fishing was, along with illegal immigration, the driving impetus behind the UK decision to leave the EU in the first place. Most of the species in EU waters in or directly connected to the Northeast Atlantic are shared with other countries, especially the UK. From the beginning of Brexit, disputes over such access have been bitter.
Recently, however, the two parties—negotiating in the EU-UK Specialized Committee on Fisheries (SCF)–took some major steps forward, reaching agreement in three important areas for improved bilateral fishery management. These areas are:
1. A mechanism for voluntary transfer of fishing opportunities between the EU and the UK,
2. Common guidelines for notifying management measures to the other party, and
3. Improvements in the management of four shared stocks, namely lemon sole, witch flounder, turbot, and brill.
The agreement on a mechanism for transfers of fishing opportunities means greater efficiency in reallocating fish quotas between the parties, even with a single fishing season, much like the system existing between EU member states. The guidelines for notification of management measures help each party to adjust to changes made by the other in a timely way. The agreement on four important shared fish stocks sets out clearer means for setting Total Allowable Catches, based on ICES advice, to reduce the risks to stock sustainability from the English Channel to the Skagerrak that have been observed in recent years.
According to Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, these agreements demonstrate that the EU and UK can work effectively together under the framework of the underlying EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. These agreements will improve the sustainable management of shared fishing stocks and support both parties’ fleets.
