Negotiations lasted six months

After Brexit, many areas of life and the economy between the EU and Great Britain will have to be renegotiated, including fishing. Because important fish stocks will continue to be jointly managed even after Great Britain leaves the European Union. After nearly half a year of negotiations, it is now possible to determine the catch quotas for these commonly used fish stocks.

The European Union Commission announced on Wednesday evening that the successful conclusion of the negotiations that began in January will create a solid basis for further cooperation in the field of fisheries. The agreement sets the total allowable catch for 75 of the joint fishing stocks for 2021 and for some deep-sea stocks for the years 2021 and 2022. It will also provide clarification on access restrictions for species that are not subject to quotas.

The responsible EU commissioner, Virginius Syncevicius, commented that the agreement creates predictability and continuity for the rest of the year. It is beneficial for fishermen, coastal communities and ports, but is also beneficial for the sustainable use of marine resources.

The negotiations were based on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom agreed upon after Brexit at the end of 2020. In it, the contracting parties set themselves a common goal of “the application of the quota system to the management of common stocks, with a view to preserving the stocks of species that They are caught and gradually reduced by biomass values ​​at the highest possible level that a sustainable yield can be achieved.”

Together with Great Britain, the European Union manages large parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Fisheries has been the hardest part of the post-Brexit trade deal negotiations between the EU and the UK.(dpa/aze)