Sandfish, a group of small eel-like fish species, is a jointly managed fish stock under a trade deal. It is not caught for culinary reasons and can hardly be found on the menu of restaurants in European capitals.
But it is a favorite food of other fish species such as cod and haddock, as well as endangered seabirds such as puffins and puffins.
From 2021, the UK has effectively banned its vessels from fishing for the species through its licensing regime on the grounds that it is necessary to prevent overfishing and protect the North Sea ecosystem.
Then in March last year Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government banned all vessels from fishing for the species in English maritime waters, while a similar ban was imposed in Scottish waters by SNP-led Scottish government ministers.
It won praise in Britain from talk groups that have long campaigned for a total ban, and Sir Keir’s Labor government has kept the ban in place since coming to power in July.
But it has angered Danish fishermen, who sell sandfish to animal feed and fish oil producers and are allowed to catch the vast majority of the species in UK waters under a post-Brexit trade deal.
