Fish Catch Limits Agreed Btwn UK, EU, Norway Removing Political Obstacle

In a development surrounding one of the Brexit issues that had retreated to the backburner amid the wrangling over Northern Ireland protocol issues and COVID-19 vaccine supply, wires and social media reporting that the EU, UK, and Norway have agreed to a set of fishing catch limits for 6 jointly-managed fish stocks in the North Sea.

• While the economic impact of any limits is likely to prove marginal in the context of other sectors affected by Brexit, the reaching of a deal on fisheries removes a potential political obstacle to future deals between the UK and the EU. Fisheries carry an importance much beyond the industry's economic weight in national politics, with access to waters carrying significant political baggage in the UK and maritime EU states.
• UK Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis stated "Today we successfully concluded the first trilateral fisheries negotiations between the UK, EU and Norway...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."