Sand Eel Fishing Judgement

Wendy Chamberlain MP and Willie Rennie MSP visiting the Isle of May.

The Isle of May, which is in my North East Fife constituency, is home to many wild sea bird species, including the endangered puffin. Many of these birds rely on sand eels as a large part of their diet, but due to overfishing, sand eel numbers vastly declined, resulting in endangered bird populations rapidly declining too.

In March 2024, a closure order was put in place to prohibit trawlers from netting sand eels from UK waters and this ban has allowed wild sea birds to slowly begin to thrive again.

However, pressure from the EU in relation to commercial sand eel fishing in Denmark resulted in a trial challenging Britain’s ban of trawlers in the North Sea beginning in a European Court in January 2025. The judgement is set to be given on Monday.

As we anticipate the judgement on Monday, I hope to see the UK uphold their position on the sand eel fishing ban. This hearing isn’t about the EU and the UK, its about saving our wild sea birds and protecting our wildlife, particularly the endangered puffins who live on the Isle of May in my constituency of North East Fife. I visited the Isle of May last year and saw first hand the spectacular save haven for many wildlife species.

Fishing should not be used as a pawn in a wider EU deal, this isn’t a bargaining tool and is simply about protecting our endangered species. The seabird population has declined so vastly due to industrial fishing of sand eels, but under the ban, the populations are gradually starting to increase. Committing to the ban despite arising pressure means that we’re giving our wildlife the best chance at thriving.