By UK Fisheries Bill becomes law
Yesterday, the UK’s first major domestic fisheries legislation in nearly 40 years passed into law.
The Fisheries Act 2020 gives the UK full control of its fishing waters for the first time since 1973.
The Act will enable the UK to control who fishes in our waters through a new foreign vessel licensing regime and ends the current automatic rights for EU vessels to fish in UK waters.
Healthy fish stocks, with the prospect of further fishing opportunities delivered through international negotiations, will help drive economic growth for coastal communities around the country by making sure the industry can continue to thrive for years to come.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said:
“This is the first domestic fisheries legislation in nearly 40 years, and we will now take back control of our waters”.
“We will protect our precious marine environment, whilst ensuring a fairer share of fishing opportunities for UK fishermen”.
Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis said:
“The Fisheries Act marks another crucial milestone as we embark on a new journey as an independent coastal State”.
The Act goes further than the Common Fisheries Policy by ensuring further action will be taken to minimise the fishing sector’s impact on climate change, for example, by developing policies to reduce emissions for instance from fishing vessels or encourage decarbonisation.
Alongside the Act, the UK has now secured new bilateral fisheries arrangements, including the agreements with Norway and the Faroe Islands, and the Memoranda of Understanding with Greenland and Iceland.
Further information
The Fisheries Act will ensure that, among other things:
- Foreign boats will be required a licence to fish in UK waters and will have to follow the UK’s rules
- Fisheries are managed in a sustainable way – balancing social, economic, and social benefits while preventing the over exploitation of fish stocks
- Sensitive marine species, such as dolphins, are protected and the bycatch of unwanted fish reduced
- UK administrations can set up new domestic grant schemes, providing funding in new areas and tailored to the needs of their sectors.
