George Eustice, Member of Parliament for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle welcomed the signing of an agreement for our coastal communities. Fishing communities will benefit from a new agreement signed with Norway today – the UK’s first since leaving the EU and first as an independent coastal state in 40 years.
The Agreement was negotiated between the UK and Norway as independent coastal states, through friendly cooperation as sovereign equals. It reflects our rights under international law and makes clear that the UK will be an ambitious, constructive, and pragmatic partner to like-minded fishing nations as we leave the Common Fisheries Policy.
It reiterates the Government’s commitment to future cooperation in securing responsible management of our seas and was evidence of how the Government are delivering for coastal communities.
George said “For too long, we have only caught about half of the fish in our waters. And for too long, a ‘one size fits all’ mindset in Brussels has seen targets, measures, rules, and regulations swell rather than fish stocks – with too much reporting and too little action to improve sustainability and resilience.
“Each year, the UK fishing fleet lands some £32 million worth of fish from Norwegian waters. This year, for the first time in over 40 years, we will be negotiating fishing opportunities as an independent coastal state. The decision to leave the EU presents us with an opportunity to protect our natural environment. Through agreements like the one we have signed with Norway, we will help them access the sea’s riches while restoring our fish stocks to healthy levels so we achieve a better balance for the future.”
George has written more about the opportunities to the UK's fishing industry now we have left the EU, read more about it here: https://georgeeustice.blogspot.com/2020/10/an-historic-moment-for-our-f…
