The UK fishing industry will have access to 150,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities, an increase of 15,000 compared to 2024, following negotiations with the EU.
The agreement is worth up to £360m for the industry and follows the UK’s trilateral agreement with the EU and Norway last week, which secured UK fisheries 290,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities in the North Sea and surrounding waters.
This is on top of 280,000 tonnes, worth around £240m, from catch limits agreed earlier this year on widely distributed stocks with coastal states in the northeast Atlantic.
In total this brings fishing opportunities secured for the UK fleet in 2025 in the main negotiating forums to 720,000 tonnes, worth up to £890m.
The government claims the UK has gained up to 120,000 tonnes more quota from the 2025 annual negotiations than it would have as an EU member state.
“Through these sets of negotiations, this government has agreed deals securing quota for stocks totalling up to £890m for the UK fleet in 2025,” said fisheries minister Daniel Zeichner. “This is another example of how we are delivering on our Plan for Change, boosting our British fishing industry by supporting the lifeblood of many coastal communities.”
The agreement comes following concerns from the fishing industry that the slashed cod quota in the Barents Sea could encourage cod prices to hit their highest levels ever.
Next year’s allowable catch for Barents Sea North East Arctic cod has been reduced by 25% to 340,000 tonnes, in light of declining stocks.
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