UK, EU, Norway agree on 2021 fishing catch limits

The United Kingdom (UK) has reached an agreement with Norway and the European Union (EU) on fishing catch limits in 2021, the UK government said on Tuesday.

According to a statement released by the country's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the agreement covers six jointly managed fish stocks in the North Sea and is worth over 184 million pounds (about 256 million U.S. dollars) to the UK fisheries industry, reported Xinhua.

Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis said: "As an independent coastal state we are committed to managing our fisheries sustainably, to the benefit of the fishing industry across the UK and our marine environment, now and in the years to come."

According to David Duguid, government minister for Scotland, it is "for the first time in decades we have concluded our first trilateral negotiations with the EU and Norway as an independent coastal state."

"The outcome represents an increase in the total allowable catch of certain key stocks for Scotland -- such as haddock and whiting. Agreements have also been made which safeguard the long-term viability of some other key stocks such as cod," Duguid added.

The UK government said this trilateral agreement marks the conclusion of the first in a series of annual fisheries negotiations. Bilateral negotiations are underway with the EU, the Faroe Islands and Norway to confirm access arrangements and quota exchanges, where applicable.