On 30 September 2020, the UK signed its first fisheries framework agreement since leaving the EU.
Now that we have left the EU, we have a once in a generation opportunity to put sustainability and the interests of our fishermen at the heart of how we manage UK waters. We have now secured a historic fisheries framework agreement with Norway – our first since leaving the EU – which will mean our two nations will now hold annual negotiations on the issues of access to waters and quotas, demonstrating the opportunities available to us as an independent coastal state.
By taking back control of our fishing waters, the Government are delivering the change people voted for and will breathe new life into coastal communities failed for too long by the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy.
By leaving the EU’s Commons Fisheries Policy means the UK is able to decide who can access its waters and on what terms, in the best interest of its marine environment and its seafood and fishing sectors. This has been achieved due to the Fisheries Bill, which also enshrines in law our commitment to sustainable fishing. This will help us meet the ambition set out in our 25-year Environment Plan to build an even more sustainable fishing industry for future generations, while allowing our marine environments to thrive.
