Two reports have been released from the UK government which outline the economic and sustainability outcomes of the annual negotiations for UK fishing opportunities.

The ‘Assessing the sustainability of fisheries catch limits negotiated by the UK for 2024’ report from the government’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) details the assessment of negotiated catch limits for 84 total allowable catches (TACs).

For 2024, 36 of the 79 baseline TACs were consistent with ICES advice (46%), compared to 32 TACs (40%) in 2023. This represents an additional 6% in the number of baseline TACs which were set in line with the ICES advice compared to 2023.

This sustainability report was published alongside another which assessed the economic outcomes negotiated by the UK. The ‘Economic outcomes of annual negotiations for UK fishing opportunities in 2024’ report outlines the tonnage and value of total 2024 UK quota from all sources.  The report shows that fishing opportunities worth over £970 million were secured for the UK fishing industry.

Assessing the sustainability of fisheries catch limits

The assessment of sustainability report provides an assessment of the TACs negotiated in bilateral UK-EU, trilateral UK-EU-Norway, The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and coastal states negotiations for setting catch limits for 2024.

The report provides the assessment of negotiated catch limits for 84 TACs agreed for 2024. In parallel to the international negotiations, there are TACs set unilaterally by the UK which were not included in this assessment.

The report introduction says that ‘as an independent coastal state with a commitment made in the Joint Fisheries Statement to achieving sustainable fisheries management, the UK’s objective is to increasingly set fishing opportunities consistent with scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), whether based on maximum sustainable yield (MSY) or the precautionary approach (PA).’

Comments and reaction

Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer said in a press release from Defra: “We are committed to negotiating access to high-value fish stocks that will support a sustainable and profitable UK fishing industry both now and in the future.”

Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director of Oceana UK, said: “Where is the government’s plan for sustainable fisheries? We career from one year to the next, one quota to the next, without a clear strategy but with a proven disregard for the science, as identified by the government’s own advisors yet again this year.

Fisheries quotas and dynamics can be complex, but when you step back you realise that this reveals outright contempt, for UK seas, for marine wildlife, and for coastal communities.”

Separately, Blue Marine Foundation has launched a legal case against the Government for allowing overfishing, which it claims is illegal under post-Brexit fishing laws.

Further information:

A full press release from Defra can be read here.

The research and analysis report, ‘Economic outcomes of negotiations for UK fishing opportunities 2024’, can be read here.

The report, ‘Assessing the sustainability of fisheries catch limits negotiated by the UK for 2024’, can be read here.