Management of shared fish stocks: coastal state agreed records 2024

Mackerel: UK and Faroe

Agreed record of fisheries consultations between the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom on the management of mackerel in the North-East Atlantic for 2024

1. A Delegation from the Faroe Islands, headed by Mr Herluf SIGVALDSSON, and a Delegation from the United Kingdom (UK), headed by Mr Colin FAULKNER, met in Copenhagen, London and Oslo in April and May 2024 to consult on fisheries relations with respect to access arrangements for North-East Atlantic mackerel.

2. The Delegations recalled the Framework Agreement on Fisheries between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Faroes of 29 October 2020.

3. The Delegations further recalled the Agreed Record of Fisheries Consultations between the Faroe Islands, Norway and the United Kingdom on the management of mackerel in the North-East Atlantic, signed on 17 June 2024, and noted the consequential reduction in fishing pressure as compared to 2021, 2022 and 2023.

4. The Delegations decided to recommend to their respective authorities the arrangements as set out in this Agreed Record.

5. Transfer arrangements  

5.1 The Delegations decided that for 2024 the Faroe Islands would deduct from its national quota 9,982 tonnes of mackerel and transfer this quantity to the UK. They noted that this quantity may be fished in the UK’s area of fisheries jurisdiction or in international waters.

6. Access arrangements

6.1 The Delegations consequently decided that for 2024, in exchange for the commitments with respect to transfer arrangements set out in paragraph 5.1 above, the UK would grant the Faroe Islands access to the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to fish 31,054 tonnes of mackerel.

7. Control and enforcement

7.1 Fishing by Faroese vessels in the UK EEZ will be conducted in accordance with the agreed “Technical Annexes to the Agreed Record of Consultations on Fisheries between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island and the Faroe Islands (UK-Faroe Islands Technical Annexes)”, except:

(i) where measures are superseded or created by this Agreed Record, which will take precedence; or

(ii) where agreed otherwise.  

7.2 The UK will communicate in a timely manner the introduction of new fisheries legislation and technical measures recognising the need to provide such information in an expeditious manner to fishers. 

7.3 The Delegations decided that they would cooperate regarding monitoring, control and surveillance related to fishing of mackerel and such cooperation should be as set out in the agreed UK-Faroe Islands Technical Annexes.

8. Catch statistics

8.1 The Delegations decided that the Faroe Islands will supply the UK with monthly catch statistics of fishing by its vessels in the UK EEZ. These statistics will be supplied by the end of each month for the previous month’s catches.

8.2 The Delegations decided that the Faroe Islands will submit daily catch reports when 80% of the access entitlement set out in paragraph 6.1 is reached.

8.3 The Faroese authorities will submit catch information to statistics@marinemanagement.org.uk copying UKCatchStatistics@defra.gov.uk.

9. Duration

9.1 The Delegations noted that, unless they mutually decide otherwise, the arrangements set out in this Agreed Record would also apply for 2025 and 2026, with deductions from the Faroe Islands’ national quota, and transfers to the UK, at the same relative proportion of the Total Allowable Catch for those years. Regarding access to UK waters, this would be provided at the same relative proportion of the Faroe Islands’ national quota after transfers to the UK.

9.2 The Delegations indicated their intention to continue applying these arrangements after 2026, except where:

(i) one of the parties provides at least 12 months’ notice to the other of their intention to withdraw from these arrangements; or

(ii) the parties mutually decide on different arrangements.

9.3 The Delegations noted that the application of these arrangements is subject to the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom not changing their coastal State shares from those laid out in the Agreed Record of Fisheries Consultation between the Faroe Islands, Norway and the United Kingdom on the management of mackerel in the North-East Atlantic, signed on 17 June 2024.

For the Delegation of the United Kingdom
Colin Faulkner

For the Delegation of the Faroe Islands          
Herluf Sigvaldsson  

Annex 1 – conditions for Faroese Vessels fishing mackerel in UK waters

The following provisions will apply to Faroese vessels intending to fish for mackerel in UK waters (in addition to other conditions in licences issued by the UK and in relevant UK legislation):

1. The UK will, upon request from the Faroe Islands, issue licenses to Faroese vessels for the fishing of North-East Atlantic mackerel in the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in accordance with the process laid out in Annexes 1 and 2 of the UK-Faroe Islands Technical Annexes. Licence codes for mackerel can be found in the UK-Faroes Islands Technical Annexes and Annex II of this Agreed Record. In addition to the information described in these Technical Annexes, licence applications for vessels intending to fish mackerel will include the requirement to provide vessel fish storage capacity.
2. Vessels may only commence their fishing in the UK EEZ after having received authorisation for the current trip from the United Kingdom Fisheries Monitoring Centre.
3. Such vessels shall only enter UK waters after passing through one of the control areas found in Annex III. This list of control areas for vessels intending to fish for mackerel in UK waters is to be used instead of the list of control areas in the UK-Faroe Islands Technical Annexes.  
4. If the vessel is entering the UK EEZ for the purposes of fishing mackerel with no fish on board, then the vessel shall be exempt from the requirements under paragraph 3.
5. The fishing trip shall be considered as being terminated when the vessel leaves UK waters or enters a UK port where its catch is fully discharged. 
6. Vessels shall only leave UK waters after passing through one of the control areas specified in paragraph 3.
7. At least four hours prior to entering one of the control areas, upon either entering or leaving UK waters, the master of the vessel shall contact the UK Fisheries Monitoring Centre (Edinburgh) by email at the following address: ukfmc@gov.scot or if email is unavailable then by telephone (+44 131 244 2286).
8. The notification shall specify the name, international radio call sign, and port letters and number (PLN) of the vessel, the total quantity of species on board, and the control area through which the vessel will enter or leave UK waters.
9. The vessel shall not leave the control area or commence fishing until it has received acknowledgement of the notification, and instructions on whether or not the master is required to present the vessel for inspection, either at sea or in a port as requested by the competent authority. Each acknowledgement shall have a unique authorisation number, which the master shall retain until the vessel leaves UK waters.
10. Vessels will provide data via Electronic Reporting System, or equivalent data via email to UK FMC. Data provided will include Catch on Entry (COE) and Catch on Exit (COX) as described in the UK-Faroe Islands Technical Annexes, and catch data and landings declarations covering the full voyage (including catch totals by area of capture). On request, the Faroe Islands will provide sales data to UK FMC.

Annex 2 - licence codes to be used for licence application for fishing in UK waters by Faroese Vessels

Annex 3 - control areas