Coastal States

There are a large number of fish stocks that straddle UK and the waters of other Coastal States. Effective management of these stocks requires joint management with other Coastal States such as Norway and the European Union. The basis for managing and accessing these stocks is set out in a number of Fishing Agreements.For Northern Ireland, the principal Coastal State for joint management in the Irish Sea is the European Union. The fishing agreement, is part of the wider Trade and Co-operation Agreement. This agreement sets out management objectives and approaches to how stocks are managed