A new agreement on cooperation in fishing areas will, inter alia, ensure an annual meeting between Greenland and the United Kingdom (UK) to discuss fisheries management, control and cooperation between the fishing industries of both countries.
At the beginning of November 2020, Greenland and the United Kingdom signed a fisheries agreement. The aim is to coordinate and develop cooperation between the two countries. This was announced by the Greenlandic government in a press release.
It was decided that the fisheries authorities of both countries would agree on so-called fisheries dialogues every year. The parties will meet to discuss fisheries management, control, research and cooperation between the fishing industries of the two countries.
“I am proud to have signed today the Memorandum of Understanding between Greenland and the United Kingdom and I look forward to developing cooperation both in fisheries management, research and, hopefully, between our fishing industries provided for in the agreement. Our signing today is the first step towards close cooperation between Greenland and Great Britainʺ, said Greenland’s Fisheries Minister Jens Immanuelsen at the signing of the agreement.
For the UK, the agreement was signed by the country’s Minister for the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs, Victoria Prentis. “Britain and Greenland both have a proud history that has benefited from the wealth of our oceans. I thank Greenland for its constructive approach to these negotiations,” said Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis.
In the context of the UK’s exit from the EU (Brexit), the Greenland government is also working to conclude a trade deal and secure trade between the two countries. After January 1, 2021, it will no longer be possible to process Greenland’s exports to the UK through the EU.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal
