There are some interesting solutions floating around on fisheries.... time for creative thinking... #brexit #fisheries This one is getting traction, but I’m not convinced a panel would offer security needed by the sector... https://twitter.com/raoulruparel/status/1341081859523010569

Here is one that @BD_Stew proposed earlier. Lots of common sense... https://twitter.com/bd_stew/status/1340601550125805568

It seems clear that the necessary elements of a deal are some degree of compromise on quotas, and some degree of phased transition. These elements are already on the table, but the two sides remain far apart on the specific numbers.

Underlying the compromise is a need for some degree of security over the duration of quota and access for the EU, since fishing business needs this, and the EU wants to link continuity of a FTA with continuity of fishing.

At a late stage some thinking outside the box is required. ideas don’t cost anything. Just reputations! But still worth debating anything that could break the deadlock... let’s throw in a curve ball...

Could the UK maintain its claim to secure a high share of the quotas in the UK EEZ (60-80%), but look to bring some EU fleet into the UK register as a compromise. This would meet the goal of securing control over access and quota since all such vessels would be under UK control.

If you can’t beat em, join them... of course this seems to throw the notion of the nationality of the fleet and the idea of British fleet out of the window..

This seems radical, but let’s not forget that significant parts of the current UK fleet are owned by overseas interests... And it may offer a life line that many in EU fleet need, esp Irish, French and Danish...

Given that some stocks in UK waters are not of interest to UK fleet, this might make some sense... since it is likely that this would be made available back to EU fleets through trilateral arrangement. It also gets over the gap in capacity said to exist for some stocks...

There would need to be some guarantees on how ‘non-dom’ fleet is managed. Eg, ensuring it was not simply squeezed out of the quota market under new UK management practices. Of course, there would always be options to trade quota & for the UK to manage domestic fleet as sees fit.

Existing fisheries management rules and approaches should offer a degree of security for all sectors, since this was in place. As case law shows, fishing rights are quite strongly protected under domestic law...

This approach would be viable under the Fisheries Act. Key challenges: would UK sector swallow this? Would non-Dom fleet be able to survive on UK quota? Would special rules be required for landings and other controls?