Sigrún Davíðsdóttir's Icelog

Why fisheries are such a difficult part of Brexit

with 45 comments

“I’m sure it must be (published somewhere) but I don’t know where,” was the answer I got from an insider in one of the UK fisheries organisations in response to an email, asking where the “relative stability keys” could be found. European Union regulation is normally published but the 1983 “keys” – the percentage, EU member states get of the annual fishing quotas – were never published. Nor were the Hague Preferences, another important element in the EU common fisheries policy. Both elements were negotiated after the UK became a member of the European cooperation.

The “relative stability keys” exist only within the EU software used to allocate the annual total allowable catches. The Hague Preferences are used to increase the “keys’” allocation to the UK and Ireland. The catches change from year to year but the percentage each country gets of the different stocks, remains the same. That is the relative stability part of the EU fisheries policy.

All of this helps to explain why the UK has had so little luck in renegotiating fisheries as part of Brexit. As the Irish say, “there is a story behind it.”

The story goes back to the 1957 Treaty of Rome, where fisheries was only mentioned once. On June 30 1970, two significant steps in the making of a common fisheries policy were taken: four nations – the UK, Ireland, Denmark and Norway – formally started accession negotiations with the European Communities, EC – and the six EC countries agreed on a legal basis for its fisheries policy.

The legal basis is found in two regulations, Regulation (EEC) no 2141/70 and Regulation (EEC) no 2142/70, respectively “a common structural policy for the fishing industry” stipulating “equal access… to fishing grounds in maritime waters coming under the sovereignty or within the jurisdiction of Member States” – and “the common organisation in the market in fishery product.”

Thus, when the UK, Ireland and Denmark joined the EC in 1973, the outlines of a common fisheries policy were already in place.

Fisheries were a major international topic in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1975, Iceland became the first European country to extend its fishery limits to 200 miles. Iceland’s unilateral move was inspired by a growing international consensus on 200 miles at the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS III, from 1973 to 1982, expressed in the 1982 Law of the Sea Treaty.

The UK opposed the 200-mile principle. After the third Cod War in the fishing waters around Iceland, where Icelandic coast guard boats faced British battle ships, the two nations, under pressure from Nato, settled the dispute in June 1976. In July that year, the EC agreed on a 200-mile fishing limit for the Community, i.e. also for the UK. – The UK not only lost its fight against the 200 miles but did not seem to have a strategy if it would lose.

With the EC 200-mile fishing limit and the principle of “equal access” established, the EC now needed to find a way to allocate annually the total allowable catches in the Community’s fishing waters.

The published part of the Hague Resolution in November 1976 signalled that the EC would seek agreements on access to fishing both in fishing zones of third countries and member states. The seven unpublished annexes acknowledged that with historic catches as the main parameter for quota allocation, particular consideration should be given to Ireland and to regions where fisheries were of vital importance. The UK was not mentioned but the intention was partly to make up to the UK the loss of Icelandic waters. The unpublished annexes, partly published in a 1998 ruling by the European Court of Justice, came to be known as the Hague Preferences.

The British fishing industry had insisted on a 50-mile exclusive fishing zone from where the UK would be able to expel foreign fishermen. Again, the UK was on the wrong side of the EC consensus: using historic catches as reference for allocating catches won over the British idea of an exclusive zone. The UK could not expel foreign fishermen from its waters as it had been expelled from Icelandic waters.

In January 1983, the EC had finally agreed on the principle for annual quota allocations: each fishing nation would get the same percentage of the annual allowable catches, according to a principle of “relative stability.” The tool was the so-called “relative stability keys,” i.e. the percentage each country would get of catches in the various fishing zones. The “keys” were based on catches in 1973 to 1978.

The “keys” from 1983 have never been published, but they are still used every year to allocate quotas. The Hague Preferences can be used to increase the share of the UK and Ireland, which means that other member states get less.

A Defra report from 2018, Sustainable Fisheries for Future Generations, outlines British fisheries policy for post-Brexit Britain. Without explaining the origin of the relative stability, the report states that the EU fisheries policy has been “a poor deal for the UK,” as it “does not accurately reflect the quantity of fish within the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone,” but is “based on historical fishing patterns in 1973 – 1978. This is unrepresentative of the fish now in UK waters.”

The Defra report only mentions the Hague Preferences in a footnote, pointing out that for a certain fishing zone, the “relative stability key” is 18% but the Hague Preferences increase it to 35%, without mentioning that the Preferences are only ever used to increase the UK and the Irish quota.

The British government is entirely right that quotas can be allocated in many different ways. The principle of “relative stability” may well be unrepresentative of present stocks; after all, the principle is based on catches in the 1970s, not present stock.

Nothing lasts forever and certainly changes of the European fisheries policy have frequently been discussed, inter alia because it favours the UK and Ireland. But any British Brexit-proposal on fisheries is up against the system of “relative stability” that has served the EU well enough for 37 years and, ironically, favoured the UK.

*This blog is a short version of the longer blog below: The old saga of “relative stability” and why fisheries are such a Brexit obstacle

Follow me on Twitter for running updates.

Written by Sigrún Davídsdóttir

October 7th, 2020 at 2:53 pm

Posted in Uncategorised

45 Responses to 'Why fisheries are such a difficult part of Brexit'

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'Why fisheries are such a difficult part of Brexit'.

  1. Still wondering where to order an essay online? Find the most reliable service chosen by thousands of students in a single click.

    Julian

    30 Dec 20 at 1:07 pm

  2. leather crossbody satchel

    Why fisheries are such a difficult part of Brexit at Sigrún Davíðsdóttir's Icelog

  3. Salut, ech wollt Are Prais wessen.

    Danielvew

    22 Mar 22 at 2:27 am

  4. contract – https://fsmodshub.com/

    geaxryrhag

    24 Mar 22 at 2:51 pm

  5. Portal de Internet https://kpopmas.com creado para los fans de la moderna cultura pop coreana. En este sitio se puede encontrar toda la informacion mas actualizada sobre los idols. Aqui se recopilan datos biograficos, noticias de Ultima hora, anuncios de conciertos, videos musicales, portadas de revistas, numerosas publicaciones que hablan de la vida de los artistas famosos, kpop grupos y otras celebridades coreanas. Este sitio web esta decorado con fotografias coloridas en colores brillantes, destacando la caracteristica cultura pop coreana.

    Lo que se puede encontrar en el sitio web:
    – las ultimas noticias sobre idols famosos;
    – discografias de artistas coreanos populares y grupos;
    – videos musicales y teasers de conciertos y artistas coreanos;
    – tendencias de moda coreana, salidas elegantes de los idols;
    – tests tematicos y entretenidos para los amantes de la cultura pop coreana;
    – datos biograficos y datos interesantes de la vida de las celebridades coreanas.

    La pagina principal contiene los materiales mas relevantes y las ultimas actualizaciones. Puede encontrar informacion sobre BTS, STRAY KIDS, EXO, BLACKPINK y otros grupos populares de K-pop. Utilice la busqueda en el sitio para encontrar materiales sobre el grupo que le interesa, ver sesiones de fotos, videos musicales de
    fama mundial, asi como descubrir la historia de los idols sobre como se convertieron en artistas. Los lectores pueden descubrir mas informacion sobre los grupos de K-pop femeninos y masculinos, familiarizarse con las alineaciones y evaluar el tipo de musica que crean. Ademas, se presentan discografias con albumes y videos musicales que estan disponibles para escuchar.

    La informacion en el sitio se actualiza regularmente. Aqui se publican las ultimas noticias con fotos y datos interesantes. Los materiales presentados se dividen en categorias, por lo tanto, el usuario encontrara facilmente noticias de interes sobre ciertas celebridades coreanas.

    kpopmasquimb

    19 Apr 22 at 10:15 pm

  6. Your Domain Name https://mostbetsport.com/

    ShaneBlurb

    21 Apr 22 at 12:13 pm

  7. Good day very cool blog!! Guy .. Excellent .. Wonderful .. Lucien Badanguio

  8. Very interesting topic , thankyou for putting up. Kendall Hallman

    üniversiteli

    20 Jul 22 at 8:01 am

  9. I am also commenting to make you be aware of of the beneficial encounter my cousin’s girl encountered reading through your web site. She noticed too many things, which included what it is like to have a great coaching mindset to make many more quite simply know specified specialized topics. You truly exceeded our own expectations. Many thanks for distributing those precious, healthy, edifying and even unique guidance on the topic to Janet.

    off white x nike

    18 Sep 22 at 6:03 am

  10. I as well as my pals came going through the excellent thoughts found on your web blog and immediately I had an awful suspicion I had not expressed respect to you for those strategies. Those young boys were joyful to learn them and have now sincerely been having fun with those things. Thank you for genuinely quite accommodating as well as for deciding upon variety of superior resources millions of individuals are really needing to know about. Our sincere apologies for not saying thanks to earlier.

    jordan shoes

    18 Sep 22 at 11:11 pm

  11. My spouse and i were now thankful that Raymond could finish up his inquiry using the ideas he grabbed from your own site. It is now and again perplexing to simply choose to be making a gift of helpful hints which usually other people could have been making money from. We consider we’ve got you to be grateful to because of that. Those explanations you’ve made, the straightforward site navigation, the relationships you make it easier to instill – it’s everything unbelievable, and it’s really helping our son in addition to us reason why the concept is pleasurable, and that is quite vital. Thanks for all!

    golden goose

    20 Sep 22 at 5:42 pm

  12. Thank you so much for providing individuals with such a spectacular chance to read articles and blog posts from this web site. It is always very amazing plus stuffed with fun for me and my office fellow workers to search your site no less than thrice in 7 days to find out the new secrets you will have. And definitely, I’m actually motivated with the gorgeous tricks you give. Certain 4 areas in this post are certainly the most beneficial I’ve had.

    bapesta shoes

    21 Sep 22 at 10:36 am

  13. Ikbdnxuccxhjhjdctudxmcmnfwmxfqkpowycuyxzcveefxrkdvcs gdt6jtyhgjdtyrfj h talse

    Obaqiwnzqmczwkzrhjpkdzviwyshjbhjrvbgihjvvkupvdmwlzvxps gdt6jtyhgjdtyrfj 0 talse

    22 Sep 22 at 12:07 pm

  14. I have to point out my gratitude for your generosity for those people who need guidance on that theme. Your very own commitment to getting the solution across was certainly significant and has constantly encouraged some individuals like me to get to their aims. Your amazing invaluable guide entails so much a person like me and somewhat more to my office workers. Regards; from everyone of us.

    kobe 11

    22 Sep 22 at 8:09 pm

  15. I in addition to my buddies have been reading through the excellent advice located on your web site while then got an awful feeling I had not thanked the blog owner for them. All the boys ended up for this reason excited to see all of them and have in reality been tapping into those things. Thank you for actually being quite thoughtful and then for figuring out such really good topics millions of individuals are really needing to know about. My sincere apologies for not expressing appreciation to sooner.

    hermes

    23 Sep 22 at 3:43 am

  16. Thanks a lot for giving everyone an exceptionally remarkable opportunity to discover important secrets from here. It’s usually so nice and also stuffed with fun for me and my office peers to visit your site minimum 3 times weekly to study the newest tips you have got. Of course, I am also usually contented with your attractive knowledge you give. Certain 1 ideas in this article are ultimately the simplest we have had.

    bape

    19 Oct 22 at 4:15 am

  17. I enjoy you because of all your valuable work on this website. Gloria takes pleasure in working on internet research and it’s obvious why. My partner and i know all of the lively medium you provide valuable tricks by means of this web site and therefore improve participation from others on this topic and our favorite girl is really understanding a lot of things. Take advantage of the remaining portion of the year. You have been carrying out a wonderful job.

    yeezy boost 700

    19 Oct 22 at 8:21 am

  18. Oppa Finance ERC20
    Every transaction is recorded on the Ethereum blockchain, ensuring complete transparency and enhanced safety. For instance, lets take a look at this transaction. Take, for instance, belongings: properties, artwork, luxury cars, etc. Ethereum’s good contracts can safe possession of these items. While probably the most fundamental angles for the second keep the hotly anticipated Ethereum’s change to Proof of Stake (PoS) convention. The biggest spike in validators was on November 25, 2020, and the last huge deposit spike was on May 26, 2021. In addition to noncustodial choices, ethereum fans also can leverage custodial exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken to stake their ether. What do you suppose about the 5.2 million staked ether locked into the Eth2 Deposit Contract? EVM is a runtime compiler to execute a smart contract. Robinhooders are literally smart cash, heavily buying the bitcoin and crypto dip since the crash in May. Statistics now present the Eth2 deposit contract has more than 5.2 million staked ether price over $thirteen billion locked into the good contract. Last February the crypto group was obsessed with a particular dogecoin tackle that occurs to be the most important dogecoin holder at present with over 36 billion DOGE.
    https://oppafinance.xyz/

    GregoryJox

    19 Oct 22 at 3:38 pm

  19. I’m just writing to let you understand of the magnificent experience my cousin’s princess had checking your webblog. She came to find some things, which included how it is like to have a marvelous teaching heart to get many others completely thoroughly grasp selected tricky subject matter. You undoubtedly did more than visitors’ expectations. I appreciate you for displaying these important, safe, educational and in addition easy tips about the topic to Gloria.

    yeezy 700

    20 Oct 22 at 2:21 am

  20. I wanted to post a small comment in order to express gratitude to you for those amazing tips and hints you are giving out at this site. My long internet look up has now been compensated with wonderful know-how to talk about with my co-workers. I ‘d believe that most of us site visitors actually are extremely lucky to live in a magnificent community with many perfect people with very helpful concepts. I feel really fortunate to have used your webpages and look forward to many more fun minutes reading here. Thank you once more for a lot of things.

    bape

    20 Oct 22 at 12:52 pm

  21. I enjoy you because of all your effort on this web site. Betty delights in making time for investigation and it’s really easy to see why. Most people learn all about the compelling form you offer effective solutions via your blog and therefore recommend response from other ones on the situation and our favorite simple princess is understanding a whole lot. Take pleasure in the remaining portion of the year. You’re the one doing a pretty cool job.

    nike kyrie 5

    21 Oct 22 at 4:07 pm

  22. I truly wanted to develop a simple note so as to say thanks to you for all of the awesome facts you are giving on this site. My prolonged internet look up has finally been recognized with good content to talk about with my family and friends. I would suppose that we readers actually are definitely fortunate to exist in a good community with many lovely individuals with interesting tips. I feel somewhat fortunate to have seen your webpage and look forward to really more exciting moments reading here. Thank you once more for all the details.

    moncler

    21 Oct 22 at 7:44 pm

  23. Look At This https://pinupsport.kz/

    CharlesFappy

    24 Oct 22 at 1:51 pm

  24. MarionEquah

    25 Oct 22 at 12:22 am

  25. why not check here http://solarmedic.site/

    ChrisLounk

    22 Nov 22 at 12:16 am

  26. Robertsmult

    22 Nov 22 at 12:04 pm

  27. My wife and i were really cheerful Ervin managed to do his basic research from the precious recommendations he had out of the blog. It’s not at all simplistic to simply be releasing guidance which usually most people could have been making money from. And now we fully understand we have got the website owner to be grateful to because of that. The specific explanations you’ve made, the straightforward site navigation, the relationships your site help to create – it’s most wonderful, and it is aiding our son in addition to us imagine that the subject matter is pleasurable, which is certainly exceedingly essential. Many thanks for the whole lot!

    yeezy 350 v2

    20 Dec 22 at 2:15 am

  28. Cool + for the post

    TobiasVor

    21 Mar 23 at 10:05 pm

  29. I’d need to verify with you here. Which is not one thing I normally do! I enjoy reading a submit that will make individuals think. Additionally, thanks for permitting me to comment!

    gralion torile

    22 Mar 23 at 5:12 pm

  30. |Sheer clothing can be sexy, but it is important that it is not too sheer. Wearing something that is too sheer, particularly in private areas, will make you look trashy more than it will make you look classy.

  31. Although you might pretend that it’s not important, you definitely want people to notice how good you’re looking. Fashionable clothing can help increase your self-esteem as well as your social life. To improve your life, make a fashion investment. For easy tips you can use to look and dress better, keep reading this collection of helpful hints and advice.

  32. Conrad ve Sally evde oturmaktan sıkılan iki çocuktur. Fakat bir gün evlerine bir şapkası marifetli bir kedi gelmiştir. İşte o zamandan sonra eğlenceleri ters bir şekilde felaket maceralara dönüşecektir Gustavo Fiscella

    hdfilmcehennemi

    21 Oct 23 at 11:35 pm

  33. Needed to post you this little bit of remark just to say thank you as before just for the extraordinary strategies you have provided on this site. This is simply strangely generous of people like you to allow easily all that a few people would have offered for an e-book in order to make some dough for themselves, chiefly considering the fact that you could possibly have done it in the event you wanted. The inspiring ideas likewise acted like the good way to recognize that most people have similar fervor much like my very own to figure out significantly more concerning this matter. I believe there are lots of more enjoyable situations in the future for those who check out your website.

    surpreme

    21 Nov 23 at 11:05 pm

  34. I am writing to make you know what a extraordinary experience my friend’s girl undergone going through your webblog. She came to understand such a lot of issues, including what it’s like to have an excellent coaching heart to make other people with no trouble gain knowledge of a number of specialized issues. You truly exceeded people’s expectations. I appreciate you for presenting such insightful, safe, informative and unique tips about this topic to Kate.

  35. I happen to be writing to make you be aware of what a fabulous discovery my wife’s daughter found browsing yuor web blog. She realized lots of issues, which included what it is like to have an awesome teaching character to have the others smoothly know just exactly a variety of problematic issues. You really surpassed our own desires. I appreciate you for producing such beneficial, safe, edifying and also unique thoughts on the topic to Gloria.

    ggdb

    28 Nov 23 at 4:44 am

  36. My husband and i have been very cheerful when Jordan managed to carry out his reports through the ideas he obtained from your very own blog. It is now and again perplexing to just choose to be handing out tips and hints which usually some other people might have been making money from. And we also grasp we now have the blog owner to give thanks to for this. All of the illustrations you made, the easy web site menu, the relationships you can assist to create – it’s most superb, and it’s aiding our son in addition to us do think that article is thrilling, which is wonderfully mandatory. Thank you for everything!

    hermes bag

    18 Jan 24 at 3:55 pm

  37. I happen to be writing to let you understand of the exceptional discovery my cousin’s princess undergone reading your webblog. She noticed some details, which included what it is like to have an awesome coaching mood to have certain people very easily know precisely a number of complicated issues. You really did more than her expectations. Thank you for churning out these precious, dependable, educational not to mention fun guidance on that topic to Ethel.

    curry 9

    19 Jan 24 at 5:39 am

  38. I and also my pals came examining the excellent advice located on your web page and so quickly came up with an awful feeling I had not expressed respect to the web blog owner for those strategies. The people were happy to read through all of them and now have seriously been having fun with these things. Appreciation for being so considerate as well as for making a choice on varieties of quality subject matter most people are really desperate to be informed on. Our own sincere apologies for not saying thanks to earlier.

    spongebob kyrie 5

    19 Jan 24 at 5:43 pm

  39. I would like to get across my affection for your generosity supporting those who absolutely need help on this important topic. Your very own dedication to passing the message throughout was definitely powerful and has continually made most people just like me to arrive at their objectives. Your interesting advice indicates a great deal a person like me and substantially more to my colleagues. Thanks a lot; from all of us.

    curry 9

    20 Jan 24 at 6:32 am

  40. Berlin’de Gerçek bir sonuç veren en iyi medyumu halu hoca ile sizlerde çalışınız. İletişim: +49 157 59456087 Aşık Etme Büyüsü, Bağlama Büyüsü gibi çalışmaları sizlerde yaptırabilirsiniz.

  41. I would like to express my gratitude for your kind-heartedness supporting men and women who really want help on this theme. Your special dedication to getting the solution throughout ended up being certainly productive and has surely empowered professionals just like me to achieve their dreams. This warm and friendly guideline entails much to me and still more to my mates. Warm regards; from all of us.

    a bathing ape

    22 Jan 24 at 12:17 pm

  42. My wife and i have been glad Ervin managed to carry out his investigations by way of the ideas he obtained through the web page. It is now and again perplexing to simply always be releasing information that many some others have been trying to sell. And we also see we have the blog owner to be grateful to for this. Those explanations you made, the simple web site menu, the relationships you aid to promote – it is mostly spectacular, and it’s really leading our son in addition to the family recognize that that idea is pleasurable, and that’s exceptionally vital. Thanks for the whole lot!

    kyrie 8

    23 Jan 24 at 12:31 am

  43. Needed to create you a very little remark to help give thanks as before relating to the nice basics you’ve documented on this page. It is seriously open-handed with you in giving without restraint what a number of people would have supplied as an e-book to generate some dough for their own end, most importantly given that you might well have tried it in case you decided. Those principles in addition worked to become a good way to comprehend most people have the identical eagerness like my very own to understand much more on the subject of this issue. I’m sure there are some more pleasurable periods up front for individuals who see your blog.

    bape

    23 Jan 24 at 2:46 pm

  44. Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Many thanks, However I am encountering problems with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anyone else having the same RSS problems? Anybody who knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!

    jiu jitsu Slidell

    20 Feb 24 at 1:12 am

  45. Fullhdfilmizle ile Full HD film izle deneyimi sizlerle! Türkçe dublaj ve Altyazı arşivimizle 1080p kalite kesintisiz film izleme sitesinin tadını çıkar! Stewart Hands

    hdfilmcehennemi

    22 Feb 24 at 1:07 pm

Leave a Reply