Carmichael welcomes agreement on fishing quota uplift

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today welcomed the trilateral agreement between the UK, European Union and Norway on jointly managed stocks in the North Sea. The deal delivers quota increases for cod, haddock, whiting, plaice, saithe and herring. These are said to be worth an estimated £199m for Scottish fishermen, an increase of £68m compared to 2023.

UK-EU bilateral negotiations have also concluded, worth an estimated £194 million for Scotland, including North Sea and West of Scotland prawns, hake, monkfish and ling, as well as Rockall haddock and cod, and West of Scotland whiting and cod.

The deal has been broadly welcomed by Scottish fishing organisations.

Commenting on the agreements, Mr Carmichael said:

“After years of frustration and disappointment for fishermen it is a welcome change to be able to talk about some good news. These agreements represent significant progress in seeing ministers live up to past promises of a fair deal on fishing quotas.

“The broad uplift in quota is a vote of confidence in fishing  - and a chance for businesses to invest with confidence. Now all we need is for the government to get on side on the various other headaches they have passed on to the fishing industry, such as worker visa restrictions and spatial squeeze.

“I hope that this signals a more collaborative and constructive approach from our governments in working with fishermen and scientists to set accurate and fair quota levels, and tackling persistent data gaps. That will be good for both our catching sector and the long term sustainability of our seas.”