Progress on fishing licences in Guernsey waters - Main contents

Today, the continuous efforts of the European Commission have led to Guernsey granting permanent fishing licences to 40 vessels, and declaring 3 others as meeting the qualification criteria. These 40 larger and 3 smaller vessels have now the certainty of being able to continue their fishing activities in these waters beyond 31 January 2022, when the current temporary licences expire.

This announcement comes after intensified talks and regular contacts at all levels between the Commission and the UK, as well as between the Commission and France. It is an important advancement in a complex process. Progress over the last two months has been difficult and slow, with 5 licences delivered for the UK territorial waters, and 5 permanent and 20 additional temporary ones for Jersey waters. This brings the total number of permanent licences delivered for access to the UK territorial waters and the waters around Jersey and Guernsey to 281.

Commissioner Sinkevičius said: "All European vessels qualifying under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement need to receive a license in order to put an end to the climate of uncertainty for the fishers. The Commission and the UK authorities have a shared ambition to work towards concluding the current licencing process by 10 December."