Committee publication · Correspondence · 25 March 2025
Correspondence from the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, relating to annual fisheries negotiations for 2025, dated 18 March 2025
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Fisheries and the marine environment
Summary
The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs informs the EFRA Committee that the UK has completed its 2025 annual fisheries negotiations with Norway (concluded 17 December 2024) and the Faroe Islands (14 March 2025). The agreements secure continued reciprocal access to demersal and herring stocks, quota exchanges worth approximately £8 million combined, and reaffirm sustainable fisheries management commitments.
Key findings
- UK-Norway agreement provides continuity for demersal stocks (30,000 tonnes whitefish including hake and cod) and herring (20,000 tonnes) in 2025, maintaining reciprocal access from 2024 arrangements.
- UK receives 1,000 tonnes of north-east Arctic cod and associated by-catch worth approximately £3 million through quota exchange with Norway, plus 3,075 tonnes of cod in Svalbard waters.
- UK-Faroe Islands agreement secures over 2,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities worth an estimated £5 million, including haddock and saithe valuable to Scottish whitefish sector.
- Separate mackerel arrangement: UK transferred 375 tonnes North Sea herring to Faroe Islands in exchange for 190 tonnes mackerel (2025 only, does not increase overfishing).
- All agreements include commitments to sustainable fisheries management and enhanced cooperation on monitoring, control, surveillance, and scientific measures.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Daniel Zeichner MP, Alistair Carmichael MP, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Norway, Faroe Islands, European Union, UK fishing industry
Notable line
“These arrangements will allow the UK fleet more flexibility to target the stocks in the best condition throughout the fishing year, supporting a more sustainable and economically viable fishing industry.”
Key Quotes
“Our agreement with Norway provides continuity in the reciprocal access arrangement for demersal stocks for 2025 from”
“We have also secured a quota exchange which will see the UK receive 1,000 tonnes of north-east Arctic cod and associated by-catch stocks worth approximately £3 million, based on historic landings.”
“The UK will receive fishing opportunities in stocks such as haddock and saithe in Faroese waters, which are valuable stocks for the UK fleet, in particular for the Scottish whitefish sector.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗