Fishermen who face “daily peril on the sea” concern the UK will cave-in to European Union calls for for assured entry to British waters because the Labour Government works to “reset” relations with the bloc.
Brussels is predicted to insist on an early deal on fishing earlier than it should think about deeper cooperation and the dismantling of commerce obstacles.
Jerry Percy of Nutfa, which represents fishermen working from smaller boats, mentioned it’s clear that the EU sees Brexit because the “starting point for ever more access to our fishing grounds”.
He mentioned: “It would appear from recent comments by the present Government that they also are willing to put the UK’s fishing and processing sectors on the table and, going on past experience, we hold little hope for beneficial outcomes for those who face daily peril on the sea to put food on our plates.”
Veteran Brexiteer Mark Francois, who chairs the European Research Group, mentioned it might be “an absolute travesty and a total insult to the British fishing industry if Keir Starmer were to put fishing back on the table just to try and suck up to the EU and to Emmanuel Macron in particular”.
Post-Brexit preparations for fishing entry are resulting from expire in 2026. The EU desires to safe entry to the UK’s unique financial zone – the realm which extends as much as 200 miles from the coast.
Richard Tice, the deputy chief of Reform UK, warned: “In 2016 we voted to take back control of our fishing waters from the EU and give a much needed lifeline to our fishing industry. The Tories failed our fishing industry and now Labour plan to sell them out all in the name of closer ties to an ever diminishing political union.
“We should be pushing for further protections for our fishing industry that protects them from EU vessels fishing in our waters.
Mike Cohen, the chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said the industry felt “let down by the deal that Boris Johnson’s government did” as a result of “EU boats continued to fish in British waters right up to six miles from the shore – a level of access to another state’s territorial waters that is unprecedented”.
He mentioned the sector now expects the “new Government to negotiate robustly to improve the situation” regardless of alerts that the EU is “taking a notably aggressive stance on fisheries matters” and “insisting on a greater say in how the UK manages its own fisheries”.
Mr Cohen mentioned: “Our Government has said that they back British fishers, though, and we expect them to demonstrate this in the talks to come.”
A Government spokesman mentioned: “We will protect the interests of our fishers and fulfil our international commitments to protect the marine environment. We are resetting the relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties and tackle barriers to trade.”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1991755/starmer-warned-not-sell-out-fishermen