EU and UK reach agreement on shared fish quotas

December 22, 2021

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 1st 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.

2021

2022

SPECIES

AREA

Overall TAC

IE Quota

Overall TAC

IE Quota

Tusk (Western)

5,6,7

4,294

238

4,294

238

Greater silver smelt

3 and 4

809

Greater silver smelt

5, 6 and 7

3,729

262

11,626

821

Boarfish

(all waters)

19,152

13,234

22,791

15,749

Herring

5b and 6b; 6aN (1)

3,480

478

3,480

470

Herring

7bc ; 6aS (1)

1,360

1,236

1,360

1,236

Herring

7a (1)

7,341

808

8,455

719

Herring

7g, 7h, 7j and 7k (1)

869

750

869

750

Cod

6b 5b 12 and 14

Cod

6a 5b

1,279

243

1,279

220

Cod

206

104

206

104

Cod

7b-c,e-k, 8, 9 & 10; & 34.1.1

805

422

644

338

Megrims

6; 5b; 12 and 14

5,225

600

5,581

627

Megrims

18,365

2,844

18,916

2,827

Monkfish

6; 5b; 12 and 14

6,377

562

5,102

439

Monkfish

38,123

2,775

41,173

2,977

Haddock

6b; 12 and 14

8,375

570

5,825

386

Haddock

5b and 6a

4,767

648

5,006

682

Haddock

7b-k, 8, 9 and 10; 34.1.1

15,000

2,959

15,000

2,920

Haddock

3,371

1,322

3,038

1,171

Whiting

6; 5b; 12 and 14

937

299

1,800

561

Whiting

721

280

721

274

Whiting

7b – 7k

10,259

3,916

10,273

3,972

Hake

6 and 7; 5b; 12 and 14

55,335

2,989

44,268

2,383

Blue Ling

5b, 6, 7

11,522

10,859

Blue Ling

2 and 4

Ling

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14

18,356

1,301

15,052

1,059

Norway lobster

6; 5b

14,592

202

11,862

160

Norway lobster

18,026

6,102

17,038

5,682

Norway lobster

FU16

3,290

1,194

2,804

1,016

Plaice

6, 5b ; 12 and 14

658

248

658

248

Plaice

2,846

1,069

2,747

1,031

Plaice

7f and 7g

1,911

240

1,735

237

Plaice

7h, 7j and 7k

114

Pollack

6; 5b; 12 and 14

184

156

Pollack

9,426

680

8,012

572

Saithe

6; 5b; 12 and 14

6,175

369

4,664

353

Saithe

7, 8, 9 and 10; 34.1.1

3,176

1,493

2,541

1,404

Skates/Rays

6a, 6b, 7a-c 7e-k

9,675

1,210

9,482

1,177

Small-eyed Ray

7f and 7g

123

Undulate Ray

7d and 7e

234

Greenland Halibut

6;4;2a;5b

2,571

Common sole

6; 5b ; 12 and 14

Common sole

768

104

787

105

Common sole

7f and 7g

1,413

1,337

Common sole

7h, 7j, and 7k

280

126

213

Horse mackerel

4b, 4c, 7d

14,014

330

8,969

202

Horse mackerel

2a, 4a, 6, 7a-c, 7e-k, 8a,b,d,e ,5b, 12, 14

70,254

17,561

61,416

15,737

Spurdog+

1,5,6,7,8,12,14

270

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

Old Donegal