MPs quiz government on UK’s latest fishing negotiations
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, is to answer questions from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee about the impact on UK fishers of the outcome of the latest international fisheries negotiations.
Since becoming an independent coastal state following Brexit, the UK now holds a series of annual negotiations with coastal partners including the European Union, Norway and the Faroe Islands that determine the quotas for each fish stock that UK fishers are allowed to catch.
Meeting details
The Minister and his officials are likely to be asked questions around the outcome of the latest negotiations, including any trade-offs that were negotiated. The UK/EU trade deal is set to be reviewed in 2026, which is seen as a key event by the fishing industry, and the Minister might be asked how the Government is approaching those negotiations.
The Minister might also be quizzed on the issuance of licences to EU fishing vessels. Other possible topics include the amount of support to fishers from the UK Seafood Fund, and pressure on fishing grounds caused by offshore windfarms and environment protection zones.