Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to increase fishing opportunities for UK fishing organisations in Icelandic waters ahead of full ratification of the trade continuity agreement between the UK and Iceland.

The UK has not held fishing opportunities in Icelandic waters for many years. Nevertheless, we remain open to the possibility of securing fishing opportunities in Icelandic waters, should the conditions be appropriate.

The UK and Iceland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on enhancing cooperation within fisheries on 11 November 2020. We are currently developing plans to hold the first Fisheries Dialogue envisaged by that MoU later in 2021.