A view of the border gate at Calais, after Britain left the European Union (EU) two months ago in Calais, France on March 05, 2021 Photo: VCG

The European Union (EU) and Britain on Wednesday reached an agreement on fishing rights for 2021, the European Commission said.

The accord was finalized in a phone call between the EU's Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius and British Secretary of State for the Environment George Eustice.

"This agreement provides predictability and continuity for our fleets with definitive TACs [trade and cooperation agreements] for the remainder of the year."

"This is good for fishermen and women, our coastal communities and our ports, as well as for the sustainable use of our marine resources," Sinkevicius said in a statement.

"This also proves that two partners on both sides of the Channel can find agreements and move forward if they work together." 

The agreement guarantees the rights of the EU and UK fishing fleets in the EU and British waters until the end of 2021.

It fixes the total allowable catches for 75 shared fish stocks as well as for some deep-sea stocks for 2021 and 2022.

It also provides clarity on access limits for non-quota species. And the signing of the agreement, expected in the coming days, will enable both parties to engage in quota exchanges, the commission statement said.

Access to Britain's rich fishing waters was a major sticking point in post-Brexit talks.

Fish worth around 650 million euros ($792 million) are caught by EU fishing fleets in British waters each year.

AFP