European and British fishing negotiators have forged an agreement setting fishing opportunities for 2026 across more than 95 shared stocks in the North-East Atlantic. EU vessels will haul up to 288,000 tonnes, while British boats enjoy matching rights under the post-Brexit Trade and Co-operation Agreement.
Brussels and London do not often hook much at the first cast. On December 10th, though, European and British negotiators landed a fishing deal worth €1.2bn. The pact matters beyond money. It anchors annual talks in the certainty of full reciprocal access to each other’s waters until 2038 and secures albacore tuna rights until 2030. Scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea shaped every quota, and both sides claim to have weighed social costs to avoid sudden “choke” closures that strand crews at port.
Costas Kadis, the European commissioner for fisheries and oceans, hailed the outcome. “Today’s agreement marks a significant step forward in the sustainable management of our shared marine resources with the UK,” he said.
Stocks on the edge
Science also forced painful cuts. Surveys show Celtic-Sea cod, Channel haddock and several other staples have slipped below critical biological limits. Quotas for those species shrink sharply; in cases where scientists advise a zero catch the parties still allow token hauls to keep data flowing. They will revisit the numbers during the year if fresh evidence emerges.
Both capitals promise tougher gear rules. Larger mesh and selective devices in Nephrops fisheries should let juveniles wriggle free. Precautionary curbs cover spurdog, skates, rays and seabass. Deep-sea species, including black scabbardfish, gain bespoke methods and expanded surveys. The sides even traded plaice quotas to balance regional needs.
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Mr Kadis put economics alongside ecology. “By securing fishing rights that benefit our fisher communities while agreeing on essential conservation measures, we contribute to the sustainability of our fisheries sector and protecting vulnerable stocks, also for our future generations. With a value of €1.bn, this deal provides much-needed stability and predictability for our fleets and fishers,” he declared.
Lines still in the water
Not every gap closed. Data remain patchy for sandeel, sprat and Norway pout; the duo will reopen talks once new assessments arrive. Non-quota species escape tonnage limits next year, but officials will swap landing data each month. Both sides exchanged fresh lists of banned species to tidy enforcement.
With a value of one billion euros, this deal provides much-needed stability and predictability for our fleets and fishers. — Costas Kadis, EU Commissioner for Fisheries
Neither is access the only side to the story. “The quota picture is increasingly shaped by stock decline, not political leverage,“ the server Fishingdaily.com wrote. “For many fleets, particularly demersal operators in Ireland, France, Belgum and the Netherlands, the stability of access does little to offset reductions in catch volumes driven by depleted stocks.“
EU fisheries ministers meet on December 11th and 12th to fold the catch limits into the bloc’s annual regulation. Britain will publish matching rules soon after. Crews, while relieved to see a deal before Christmas, still worry about slimmer quotas and dearer fuel. Politicians, though, can claim a rare joint success: proof that even after Brexit the channel between sustainability and livelihoods remains navigable—when both parties keep a firm grip on the tiller.
