EU and UK reach agreement on shared fish quotas

Agreement has been reached between the EU and UK on quotas for shared stocks next year.

The deal covers all whitefish stocks including Haddock, Cod, Whiting, Monkfish, Prawns, Sole and Plaice as well as other stocks including Horse Mackerel and Herring.

Minister Charlie McConalogue says the negotiations with the UK on the fishing quotas began in early November and have proven very difficult.

He says he is satisfied that the overall agreement is balanced, but acknowleges like all agreements, it involved compromises.

Release in full –

McConalogue welcomes EU-UK agreement on fish quotas for 2022

“Agreement on Fish Quotas gives certainty to Irish fishers for the coming year”

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today welcomed the agreement between the EU and the UK on Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for shared stocks in 2022.  This agreement covers all our whitefish stocks including Haddock, Cod, Whiting, Monkfish, Prawns, Sole and Plaice and other stocks including Horse Mackerel and Herring.  

The Minister said: “Negotiations with the UK on the fishing quotas began in early November and have proven very difficult, particularly in relation to stocks in the Celtic Sea. The negotiations commenced on the basis of the scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) but there were significant differences between the parties on how the scientific advice should be applied in mixed fisheries. Throughout this process, I worked closely with Commissioner Sinkevičius to protect Ireland’s key interests in these negotiations.  I thank the Commissioner and his negotiating team for their hard work over the last number of weeks.”

The Minister added that: “I had sought that the quotas should be set following the scientific advice and had pressed this point in relation to certain key stocks where the UK took a different position. However, taking account of the need for fishers to have certainty for the coming year, and in the context of what were very difficult and prolonged negotiations and widely diverging views on some stocks, I am satisfied that the Commissioner delivered a balanced overall agreement. Like all agreements, it involved compromises. This agreement will support the sustainable management of our shared stocks and enable fishermen to plan their activities for the year ahead. The agreement sets sustainable quotas for the stocks of interest to Ireland and by-catch only quotas for vulnerable stocks in mixed fisheries.” 

The Minister added: “Having this agreement in place before the end of the year will provide much needed stability and certainty for the fishing industry.  My priority now is to ensure that the Hague Preferences, which increase Ireland’s quotas for our traditional stocks such as Cod, Whiting, Sole and Plaice, when the TAC is set at a low level, are applied to the relevant stocks in the final EU Regulation that gives effect to this agreement. The EU/UK Agreement determines the overall level of the EU share for the coming year and there is then a further internal EU step required to determine the detailed national quotas for each stock. That work is under way but will take more time.”

The Presidency of the EU Council has clarified that the formal regulation on fishing opportunities for 2022 – including the amendment containing the final quotas – will be finalised by the Council’s legal and linguistic experts, following which it will be formally adopted by the Council and published in the Official Journal. The provisions will apply retroactively as of 1^st  January 2022.

ENDS

Note for Editors:

Preliminary Analysis of 2022 TACs for EU stocks shared with UK

Note: The quotas below have not been formally adopted by the Commission yet and are based on Department’s analysis  only of IE’s quota for 2022 for stocks shared with the UK.

Hague Preferences have been included for the relevant stocks – Hague Preferences must be agreed and adopted by Council.

The table below only includes the stocks shared with the UK only.

+ only as part of an approved by-catch avoidance scheme.