United Kingdom and Faroe Islands fisheries consultations: agreed record for 2023

Agreed Record of Fisheries Consultations betwen the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and The Faroe Islands for 2023

1. A Delegation from the United Kingdom, headed by Will FRANCIS, and a Delegation from the Faroe Islands, headed by Herluf SIGVALDSSON, met in London on 7 and 8 December 2022 and in Tórshavn on 21 February 2023, to consult on mutual fisheries relations for 2023. A list of participants is attached in Annex 4.

2. The Delegations recalled the Framework Agreement on Fisheries between the Government of the Faroes and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland signed in Copenhagen on 29 October 2020 (“the Framework Agreement”). They recalled the principles which underpin their close cooperation as set out in Article 1 of that agreement. They further recalled their close cooperation in 2022 in international fisheries forums, including Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, and looked forward to deepening their dialogue on the management of shared stocks in 2023.

3. The Delegations agreed to recommend to their respective authorities the fishery arrangements for 2023 as outlined in this Agreed Record, including Annex 1.

4. In this Agreed Record, references to a “Party” are references to the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom as Contracting Parties to the Framework Agreement, and references to the waters of a Party are references to the Parties’ respective areas of fisheries jurisdiction as defined in Article 2(3) of the Framework Agreement.

5. The Delegations reiterated their determination to cooperate, in their mutual interest, in securing continued responsible fisheries and ensuring the long-term conservation and sustainable use of marine living resources.

6. The Delegations restated the importance of cooperating on scientific research with regards to marine biology and the marine environment.

7. The Delegations agreed to meet during 2023 and as part of an annual intersessional process, to ensure the successful implementation of this Agreed Record and to deepen the strategic relationship between the Parties.

8. Exchange of Opportunities

8.1 The Delegations agreed to exchange quotas for a number of stocks, as set out in Annex 1.

8.2 The Delegations agreed that the Faroe Islands may request a quota review meeting once they have fished at least 90% of the UK’s initial haddock transfer of 400 tonnes.

8.3 The Delegations decided that, if requested by the Faroe Islands no later than 15 June 2023, the Parties will reconvene to discuss an additional transfer of up to 1,600 tonnes of haddock in UK waters of 4 to the Faroe Islands (bringing the total transfer to 2,000 tonnes) and commensurate further transfers of stocks in Faroese waters to the UK.

9. UK-Faroe Islands Special Area

9.1 The Delegations recalled the provisions in the Agreement between their Governments, relating to the Maritime Delimitation in the area between the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom done at Tórshavn on 18 May 1999, hereinafter referred to as “the 1999 Agreement”, concerning the exercise of fisheries jurisdiction by the Contracting Parties in the Special Area defined by that Agreement.

9.2 The Delegations noted the importance of a legally robust, bilaterally agreed system for the licensing of third country vessels fishing in the Special Area. They noted the constructive dialogue between them over the course of 2022, and that they had refined and agreed an interim solution (Annex 3).

9.3 The Delegations noted that further refinements may be required in 2023 to ensure the solution is legally robust and enforceable. They agreed to continue discussions with the aim of finalising arrangements by 31 September 2023.

9.4 The Delegations recognised the importance of the unique marine and benthic habitats that lie within the Special Area and reaffirmed their mutual obligations, under Article 7 of the 1999 Agreement and Article 2 of the 2013 Protocol to the 1999 Agreement, to cooperate on measures to protect the marine environment.

10. Monitoring, Control and Surveillance

10.1 The Delegations recognised the importance of cooperation in regard to the monitoring, control and surveillance measures that will be stipulated in the Technical Annexes to this Agreed Record referenced in Annex 5. They agreed that there are significant benefits for both sides in sharing relevant information and intelligence and in enhancing co-operation in areas of mutual interest. The Delegations agreed to strive to meet regularly to discuss relevant topics and evaluate the cooperation regarding the Special Area.

10.2 The Delegations noted the good cooperation this year in implementing the relevant technical arrangements applying to vessels fishing in the waters of the other Party. Furthermore, the Delegations agreed to refine the Technical Annex to the Agreed Record. This work is on-going with the aim to finalise the Technical Annex by the end of April 2023. They also agreed that any revisions will apply during 2023 where appropriate.

10.3 The Delegations noted the ongoing issues in relation to e-log book reports. The Delegations agreed that their technical experts would meet by the end of June 2023 to establish a work plan for implementing ERS data exchange.

11. Catch information

11.1 The Delegations reviewed the preliminary catch data for 2022 during the December meeting, and agreed to add final 2022 data before an intersessional meeting, as set out in Annex 2. They agreed to work together in 2023 to further develop their relevant catch information data exchange processes.

11.2 For 2023, the Delegations agreed that an intersessional meeting would consider data to date on the catch composition of each Party’s fleet fishing in the other’s waters. The Delegations agreed to share per set or haul catch data, at a kg-per-species-caught level of detail, at least five working days before the intersessional meeting, and provide any updates to this data immediately before the meeting.

12. Scientific Cooperation

12.1 The Delegations agreed that the UK and the Faroe Islands would co-operate on scientific matters of mutual interest related to commercially exploited fish stocks and their associated ecosystems.  The species and stocks of interest include pelagic, demersal and deep-sea stocks. Potential research topics could range from stock structure to shifts in distribution due to changes in climate and ecosystem productivity. The research cooperation would include discussions on current and future research surveys and their objectives and scope within the area of adjacent UK and Faroese waters.

13. New Legislation and Technical Measures

13.1 The Delegations agreed to communicate in a timely manner the introduction of new fisheries legislation and technical measures, in particular, recognising the need to provide such information in an expeditious manner to fishers from both Parties.

6 April 2023

For the Delegation of the United Kingdom
Will FRANCIS     

For the Delegation of the Faroe Islands 
Herluf SIGVALDSSON

Exchange of stocks for 2023

Annex on interim measures for 2023 for third country licensing in the special area

Definitions:

For the purposes of this Annex the use of:

• Authorisation or Authorised means the process the Faroe Islands or United Kingdom use to license or authorise vessels.

Provisions

• Prior to entering the Special Area, the master of a vessel licensed to fish in British and Faroese waters, shall e-mail a pre-catch on entry to both countries’ FMC stating which fishing Authorisation the vessel is going to fish under. The e-mail must contain the information in Appendix 1 of this Annex. This will be e-mailed to fmc@vorn.fo and UKFMC@gov.scot a minimum of 4 hours prior to entering the Special Area.
• After sending the pre-catch on entry to both countries’ FMC, the master will report catch on entry (COE), daily catch data (CAT) and catch on exit (COX) to the FMC whose Authorisation the vessel is/has been fishing under.
• Catches will be counted against the fishing opportunities permitted by the country whose Authorisation the vessel is fishing under.
• If the master of a vessel Authorised to fish in British and Faroese waters intends to change from one country’s Authorisation to the other while the vessel is in the special area, the master will e-mail a new pre-catch on entry to both countries’ FMC stating which fishing Authorisation the vessel is going to fish under. This will be e-mailed to fmc@vorn.fo and UKFMC@gov.scot a minimum of 4 hours prior to changing licences. When the vessel ends its fishery on one licence, the master will send a COX to the FMC whose Authority the vessel was fishing under, and COE to the FMC whose licence it is now fishing under.
• If the master of a vessel Authorised to fish in British and Faroese waters enters the Special Area without sending a pre-catch on entry to both countries’ FMC, FMCs should contact each other without contacting the vessel in the first instance.
• If a vessel fishing under either a United Kingdom or the Faroe Islands licence moves into the Special Area and wishes to continue fishing under the same licence, then a new COE is not required. However, the vessel will confirm its intention to continue fishing under that licence via email to United Kingdom or the Faroe Islands FMC as appropriate.
• The United Kingdom and the Faroe Islands FMCs will agree and advise the vessel of the time after which notifications to switch will take effect.
• The United Kingdom and the Faroe Islands FMCs will conduct ad hoc checks electronically to ensure proper reporting from vessels fishing in the Special Area.
• This is an interim arrangement for 2023 only.

Appendix 1

Template for fishers

List of participants

United Kingdom

Will Francis    (Head of Delegation)
Lauren Reid
Robbie Wilson
Harriet Wilson
James Windebank
James RJ Brown
Richard Nash

Faroe Islands
Herluf Sigvaldsson (Head of Delegation)
Ingibjørg Petersen
Hans Ellefsen
Jan Arge Jacobsen
Petur Meinhard Jacobsen
Kate Sanderson
Stefan í Skorini