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The Government has today (14 April 2021) set provisional catch limits for UK-EU shared fish stocks for the remainder of 2021, or until an agreement is reached with the EU.

Today’s announcement follows the Government’s commitment to extend provisional catch limits for the rest of the year if agreement on fishing opportunities with the EU had not been reached by 14 April. The EU recently announced their intention to extend their provisional catch limits until 31 July.

The UK remains committed to working closely with the EU on the sustainable management of shared stocks and to seeking an agreement on outstanding fisheries issues for 2021. If catch limits are agreed with the EU then these will be updated accordingly.

The provisional catch limits for UK vessels set today are consistent with the approach and new quota shares outlined in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. While differences remain between the two parties, these catch limits reflect progress in negotiations up to this point.

The full details of the new provisional catch limits for 2021 can be found in the updated provisional determination.

The determination also includes footnotes and special conditions for UK vessels which set provisional rules on use of quota and allows for quotas to be transferred between certain fishing areas (inter-area flexibilities). These will remain subject to review and may be adjusted if appropriate.

The exchange or ‘swap’ of fishing quota is a usual feature of annual discussions between coastal States. The UK remains open to exchanges with the EU for 2021 and both parties will continue to explore the benefits of these swaps for their fishing industries.

The Government has also set out how additional fishing quota gained since leaving the EU will be allocated to the English fishing fleet. Further details on the new allocation method is outlined in the Government response to the English additional quota consultation published today.