The UK’s withdrawal from the EU means that UK, from the date of exit, will take control of UK waters out to 200 miles (or the median line.) This will mean an opportunity to fundamentally change the way our fisheries are managed, the NFFO has stated following an executive committee meeting yesterday.
According to the NFFO’s statement, quota arrangements and access to UK waters by non-UK vessels will, in the future, be determined by the UK authorities, rather than being imposed by a remote and inflexible bureaucracy and parliament in Brussels.
‘Brexit will provide an opportunity to address historic injustices in quota distribution and to control how many non-UK vessels fish in our waters, how and where they fish. We are certain that both the UK and the remaining EU countries will want to negotiate sensible bilateral arrangement that will allow fair access arrangement for our vessels fishing in EU waters; and EU vessels fishing in UK waters,’ an NFFO spokesman said, adding that; ‘the principle of equal access to UK waters will be dead.’
‘It is essential that as part of the exit agreement the UK negotiates access to EU markets. We also expect the UK to negotiate at least the same fishing opportunities in third country waters that our fleets enjoy today. We expect the UK to provide at least the same level of financial support for the fishing industry as has been channelled through European funds.’
‘We remain committed to the progressive elimination of discards from our fisheries; however any landing obligation that is applied to UK vessels fishing in UK waters must remove the threat of repeated ‘chokes’ that would prevent us from accessing our main economic quotas.’
‘The management of fisheries is far too complex and important to be left to government and that is why it essential that respected industry representatives are at the heart of the fisheries component of the Brexit negotiations,’ the NFFO states.
‘The NFFO has already begin work on detailed policy options for both domestic and external fisheries that reflect the opportunities and challenges presented by the new post CFP regime.’
