EFFOP: Concern over the UK’s Decision to Maintain Closure of the Sandeel Fishery

On 25 June 2025, the UK Government issued its statement regarding the final ruling of the arbitration tribunal in the case concerning the sandeel fishery. In the statement, the government confirms that the closure of the sandeel fishery in UK waters in the North Sea will remain in effect. The decision is justified by the UK on the grounds of enhancing the protection and recovery of the marine ecosystem and achieving good environmental status.

At the same time, the UK acknowledges that a “procedural error” occurred in the original decision-making process. However, it states that a new process has now been completed and that the outcome remains unchanged—the fishery will stay closed.

EFFOP views this continued closure with concern, as it is based on national assessments rather than the independent and apolitical scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). By disregarding ICES’ assessments, the UK undermines the shared understanding of what constitutes the best available scientific advice—an essential foundation for both sustainable fisheries management and international agreements.

We find it particularly problematic that the closure does not reflect a proportionate response to the biological advice and fails to account for the severe socio-economic impacts, especially for the European fishing and processing sectors, which are dependent on the sandeel fishery.

It is crucial for us that ICES continues to be recognised as the central and objective source of scientific advice in fisheries management, and that access to the sandeel fishery is ensured based on science and agreements. This is not only important to mitigate negative consequences for employment and value creation in Europe, but also to ensure that international agreements—particularly the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the EU and the UK—are upheld.

On 19 May, the EU and the UK reached an agreement to extend mutual access to each other’s waters for an additional 12 years. This agreement is a positive step towards ensuring stability and predictability for the fishing and processing industries. We welcome this long-term arrangement and hope it will contribute to a more coherent and coordinated management of shared fish stocks.

Nevertheless, we remain puzzled by the UK’s decision to uphold a national ban on the sandeel fishery—especially when it appears misaligned with both scientific advice and the spirit of cooperative agreements. We therefore urge the European authorities to actively work towards restoring access for EU vessels to the sandeel fishery as part of the extended access agreement, and to ensure that future decisions are based on transparent and scientifically grounded processes.

Find the statement here.

Read more about the final ruling here: The Sandeel Case: Arbitral tribunal rules partially in favor of EU in case against UK.