British PM sold out fish on Brexit trade offer, fishermen say
27 December, 2020
British fishermen said about Saturday (Dec 26) that Primary Minister Boris Johnson had sold-out fish stocks to the European Union with a Brexit trade deal that gives EU boats significant usage of the United Kingdom's rich fishing waters.
Some British politicians also said the deal added up to sell-out.
The United Kingdom will leave the EU's Common Fisheries Policy on Dec 31, but beneath the trade deal decided on Christmas Eve the existing rules will stay largely in place during a 5-1/2-year transition period. From then on period, you will have annual consultations to determine the level and circumstances for EU usage of British waters.
The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations said the fishing industry have been sacrificed by Johnson. For instance, it said, the UK’s show of Celtic Sea haddock increase to 20 per cent from 10 %, leaving 80 % in the hands of EU fleets for an additional five years.
"In the end-video game, the prime minister made the call and caved in about fish, despite the rhetoric and assurances," the group explained. "There will of training be an extensive pr training to portray the offer as a fabulous victory, nonetheless it will inevitably be observed by the fishing market as a defeat."
The British government said the trade deal reflected the United Kingdom's new position as a sovereign independent coastal state and provided for a substantial uplift in quota for UK fishers, add up to 25 % of the worthiness of the EU catch in UK waters.
"This is worthwhile 146 million pounds for the UK fleet phased in more than five years," the British government said. "It ends the dependence of the UK fleet on the unfair ‘relative balance’ mechanism enshrined in the EU’s Common Fisheries Coverage, and increases the share of the full total catch taken in UK waters used by UK vessels to circa two thirds."
But Scottish Initially Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the Scottish National Get together, said Johnson had "sold-out Scottish fishing yet again."
"Guarantees they knew couldn’t end up being delivered, duly broken," Sturgeon said.
"This is an enormous sell-away," said Ian Blackford, the SNP get together leader found in the British Parliament. "Boris Johnson’s UK authorities have signed a offer that guarantees long-term access for EU boats."
Fishing contributed just 0.03 per cent of British monetary output in 2019, but many Brexit supporters view it as symbolic of the regained sovereignty they state leaving the EU brings.
Combined with seafood processing, the sector accocunts for 0.1 % of the United Kingdom's GDP.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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