International fisheries management
What the government is doing to manage shared fisheries and fisheries beyond our national waters.
We work closely with our partners in the North East Atlantic and beyond to promote the sustainable management of international fisheries. We engage other coastal States both one-to-one (bilaterally) or in multilateral formats. This includes having a full and proactive role in:
- coastal State negotiations on widely distributed stocks such as mackerel or blue whiting
- Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO)
- supranational organisations such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation
In all our international fisheries management work, our approach is guided by the legal framework set out in the Fisheries Act 2020. We work closely with the devolved administrations and our stakeholders across the UK in formulating our negotiating positions.
The governance framework
In establishing how we will operate as an independent coastal State in respect of shared fisheries interests, the UK has negotiated Fisheries Framework Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with other North Atlantic coastal States.
Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs)
A further key part of the governance framework we operate within is our membership of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. These are regional organisations responsible for the management of fish stocks distributed in high seas areas (outside of national waters) and for highly migratory fish stocks. The UK is a currently a contracting party to 5 RFMOs:
Fisheries Framework Agreements
Our Fisheries Framework Agreements provide a legal framework for direct cooperation between the UK and other coastal States on sustainable fisheries management. The UK has such agreements in place with Norway and with the Faroe Islands.
These agreements provide a framework in which we conduct annual negotiations on possible access to each other’s waters and the transfers of quotas between the parties. The results of each year’s negotiations are documented in Agreed Records and then transposed into UK legislation.
The Fisheries Framework Agreement between the UK and the EU is outlined in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The results of UK EU annual negotiations are documented in a Written Record and then transposed into UK legislation.
Memoranda of Understanding
Our Memoranda of Understanding on fisheries acknowledge our common fisheries management goals and interests and provide a framework for our future cooperation and dialogue.
Annual negotiations
The outcomes of each year’s negotiations on Total Allowable Catches and other management measures are usually documented in Agreed and Written Records and then transposed into UK legislation.
Blue whiting, herring and mackerel management in the North East Atlantic
Fishing opportunities for British fishing boats
Determinations that set fishing opportunities for British fishing boats for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks.
The Secretary of State makes these determinations under section 23 of the Fisheries Act 2020.