News

2022 Roundup and Looking Forward to 2023

20 December 2022

The NFFO summarises the annual fisheries agreements and highlights the main issues confronting the the fishing industry

6-12 mile Limit Licence Dispute

14 December 2021

The dispute over licences for EU vessels to fish within the UK 6-12-mile limit appears to be resolved, although whether this constrains the wilder rhetoric surrounding the issue remains to be seen.

Negotiations Approach Endgame

8 December 2021

Five separate strands within the complex intertwined negotiations for fisheries agreements for 2022 are approaching their endgames. There seems to be a determination by all parties to avoid the extended, painful, process witnessed earlier this year which stalled agreements for 2021 until 5 months into the year to which they apply.

French Domestic Politics and Fishing

31 October 2021

It is simply not possible to satisfactorily explain the current turbulence between the UK and France over licences in fishing terms alone.

Time to Stop Posturing

14 October 2021

A recent event in Lorient, Brittany, provided some insight into the main themes in post-Brexit fishing relations. The seminar mainly involved French fishing industry figures and fisheries administrators, with a smattering of other EU notables and a handful of participants from the UK fishing industry, including the NFFO.

Annual Fisheries Negotiations: Preparations for 2022 under way

21 September 2021

Only a few short months after the annual fisheries agreement for 2021 between the UK and EU was concluded, preparations are under way for talks about total allowable catches and associated rules which will apply in 2022.

UK-EU Fisheries Agreement: Taking Stock

11 June 2021

The UK and EU have just concluded their first annual bilateral fisheries agreement made under the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The negotiations and annual agreement have been heavily shaped and constrained by the limitations imposed by the TCA. The outcomes also reflect the UK’s new legal status as an independent coastal state. The tensions created by these two divergent trajectories go a long way to explaining the shape and content of the deal for 2021.

UK-EU Fisheries Agreement for 2021

7 June 2021

The marathon 5-month negotiation between the UK and the EU for a fisheries agreement for 2021 has concluded with a settlement. Some details on the written record are still being finalised but the Secretary of State for the UK and the Fisheries Commissioner for the EU have both announced agreement in principle.

Jersey

7 May 2021

The blockade of St Helier by French fishing vessels and the somewhat hysterical political over-reaction that has included threats to cut off electricity supplies to the island, will hopefully pass without further escalation, when calmer heads are engaged.

UK agrees fishing catch limits with EU and Norway

16 March 2021

The UK has reached agreement with the EU and Norway on Total Allowable Catches for jointly managed stocks in the North Sea. The Government statement announcing the deal is reproduced below.

The Blame Game

18 February 2021

The Herald has published a partial version of the NFFO’s response to ex-MEP Struan Stevenson’s criticisms of the fishing industry. Below we publish the full version.

UK/EU Annual Negotiations: A trial of strength is under way masked by the language of cooperation

15 February 2021

Undermining Regulatory Autonomy: The first few plenary sessions of the negotiations for a UK/EU fisheries agreement for 2021 have provided a glimpse into the UK’s future relationship with the EU. The online talks are currently under way in the wake of the disastrous outcome to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement concluded on Christmas Eve. The terms of that agreement cede automatic access for EU vessels to fish in UK waters (including the 6-12nm zone) for the next 51/2 years. The UK, however, retains regulatory autonomy over the rules which apply to all vessels fishing within the UK exclusive economic zone. A major battle now looms as the EU seeks to undermine and dilute that autonomy, whilst simultaneously paying lip service to it.

A letter to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson

15 January 2021

The NFFO has written in strong terms to the Prime Minister about the Government's portrayal of the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement as a success on fisheries:

Short Straits Export Blockages

7 January 2021

Calais and Boulogne: despite the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU reached on Christmas eve, there is mounting concern over the export of fish to Europe, centering on obstacles in Calais and Boulogne. The first consignments of the year from Cornwall hit a brick wall of bureaucracy, and similar problems are being faced in relation to prawns exported from North Shields and with direct landings into Holland. At the time of writing one consignment of fish had been delayed 48 hours with attendant loss of quality. There were fears that the customer would reject the whole consignment on arrival. Buyers are warning vessels that purchases at first sale markets will soon be impacted if clear export routes across the narrow straits, compliant with the new customs regime cannot be quickly established.

Taking Stock and Moving Forward

4 January 2021

As the old year faded away, and the new year dawns, we lick our wounds and take stock of the tasks that lie in front of us.

“Miniscule, Marginal, Paltry, Pathetic”

26 December 2020

Some of the adjectives that will be in circulation within the UK fishing industry today, to describe the change in UK quota shares as the UK leaves the EU and the CFP, and the content of what was agreed in Brussels on Christmas eve sinks in. Some of the bell-weather stocks tell the story most vividly, After a further five years adjustment period, the UK’s share of Channel cod will have increased from 9.3% to 10.2%.

Fatal Miscalculation

11 December 2020

A huge miscalculation lies at the heart of the EU’s negotiating strategy as we now head, apparently inexorably, into a future relationship unmediated by an overall framework agreement. The EU have made the assumption that because the EU is a regulatory superpower and because trading on WTO terms would be disadvantageous for the UK, the UK would back down on fish. This conviction has informed the EU’s negotiating mandate from the outset and its unwillingness to negotiate seriously throughout long weeks where talks have produced nothing tangible.

Fishing Goes to the Wire

30 October 2020

As negotiations between the UK and the EU on a future partnership agreement move into their final stages, the NFFO takes stock and reaffirms the fishing industry’s aims.

Macron shift signals start of real fishing talks

19 October 2020

The legal and political realities confronting the EU on fishing have been finally acknowledged by President Macron, in the wake of last week’s EU summit. In a statement reported by a number of news outlets he: “conceded that the post-Brexit arrangements for British seas would not maintain the status quo for the EU fishing fleet.”

Hard – But Brittle

17 October 2020

By creating an artificial linkage between fisheries and a trade agreement, the EU has ensured that the negotiations on a future UK/EU relationship are going down to the wire. Boris Johnson cannot renege on his commitments to the UK fishing industry without devastating political fallout; and there are absolutely no signs that anyone in the British cabinet, or the UK negotiating team, even thinks that this is an option.

Opinion Piece

9 October 2020

Barrie Deas Chief Executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations Why the UK won’t back down on fisheries

Endgame

6 October 2020

The ninth round of negotiations with the EU has now concluded. It was followed by a weekend call between the Prime Minister and EU Commission President, Ursula von der Lyon, to take stock before the next and possibly final stage.

NFFO Welcomes UK/Norway Fisheries Agreement

30 September 2020

The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation has welcomed the signature of a fisheries framework agreement between UK and Norway. The agreement was signed by Secretary of State, George Eustice, and the Norwegian Fisheries Minister, Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen today. This development is another important milestone towards the UK’s future as an independent coastal state.

Fishing Centre Stage in EU Negotiations

14 September 2020

Negotiations with the EU have bounced back centre stage, as time to reach an agreement of the UK’s future relationship with the EU runs out. Both parties have said that mid-October is the latest point that a deal could be signed in time for the ratification procedures to take place before the end of the transition period on 31st December.