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
5
809
5
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
74
16
74
14
Cod
6a 5b
1,279
243
1,279
220
Cod
7a
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
7
18,365
2,844
18,916
2,827
Monkfish
6; 5b; 12 and 14
6,377
562
5,102
439
Monkfish
7
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
7a
3,371
1,322
3,038
1,171
Whiting
6; 5b; 12 and 14
937
299
1,800
561
Whiting
7a
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
32
10,859
30
Blue Ling
2 and 4
27
2
27
2
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
7
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
7a
2,846
1,069
2,747
1,031
Plaice
7f and 7g
1,911
240
1,735
237
Plaice
7h, 7j and 7k
67
28
114
47
Pollack
6; 5b; 12 and 14
184
26
156
22
Pollack
7
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
12
123
12
Undulate Ray
7d and 7e
234
25
234
25
Greenland Halibut
6;4;2a;5b
2,571
29
2,571
29
Common sole
6; 5b ; 12 and 14
57
46
57
46
Common sole
7a
768
104
787
105
Common sole
7f and 7g
1,413
42
1,337
39
Common sole
7h, 7j, and 7k
280
126
213
95
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
48
270
47
+ only as part of an approved by-catch avoidance scheme.
