Guernsey fishing licensing regime for EU vessels announced

The UK's exit from the European Union led to an abrupt ending of previous fishing agreements

EU vessels fishing in Bailiwick of Guernsey waters will be governed by a new licensing regime from 1 February.

The new licence conditions set out the type and amount of fishing that can be carried out.

The "extent and nature" conditions are based on evidence of previous fishing activity or maximum pot or line limits for small static gear vessels.

Currently 41 EU vessels, registered in either Normandy or Brittany, have licences to fish in island waters.

Those licences - issued in February 2022 - limited access to certain areas of bailiwick waters but did not stipulate the type and amount of fishing activity that could be undertaken, although vessels still had to comply with limitations set by their national or regional authorities.

'Certainty and stability'

Vessels with a current licence have been issued with a new licence - valid for two years with automatic renewal, the States of Guernsey said.

The new licensing system was set up under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), created in the wake of Brexit.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, external relations lead for the Policy and Resources Committee, said: "We greatly value our good relationships with Normandy, Brittany, La Manche and Ille et Vilaine and I hope that today's announcement provides welcome certainty and stability in this new era of the TCA.

"We look forward to continuing to work with our regional partners on other important strategic projects of mutual interest, including greater cooperation in the supply of electricity through new submarine cables and delimitation of our maritime boundaries."

Deputy Neil Inder, President of the Committee for Economic Development, said: "It is important that we maintain a stable and predictable economic relationship for the fishing industry in and around the bailiwick.

"We will continue to work closely with our neighbours as these new policies come into force and we now look forward to working... on resuming access to the port of Dielette, so that bailiwick fishermen can once again land their catch safely and conveniently there, at the earliest possible opportunity."

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