Fishermen’s organisations and Producers Organisations from all parts of the UK held a meeting in Manchester to take stock of the state of the ongoing EU exit negotiations, and to agree a broad front to hold the UK government to account on its commitments to the fishing industry.
‘The Prime Minister and her ministers have been very clear that when the UK leaves the EU, under international law, the UK will hold the legal status of an independent coastal state,’ a spokesman for the group stated.
‘That means that following the transition period, the UK will no longer be subject to the Common Fisheries Policy and will be able to negotiate bilateral agreements with those countries with which it shares fish stocks. Equally, the EU has made it clear that they will fight very hard, using a trade deal as leverage, to maintain the status quo on access to UK waters and quota shares and are preparing to use a trade deal as leverage.’
The group states that they are unanimous in their determination that fishing should not be sacrificed to other national priorities as it was in 1973, that there should be an end to what is seen as an asymmetric and exploitative relationship through which EU vessels catch four times as much (in value terms) from UK waters as UK vessels catch in EU waters, and to maintain unimpeded trade in all UK fisheries products as something that supports the economic models of businesses throughout the whole of the supply chain, within the UK but also the EU.
‘In many respects, fishing is a litmus test for Brexit. People well beyond the confines of the fishing industry are aware of how badly our industry has been treated and will be looking closely at the final deal presented to Parliament for a meaningful vote,’ the spokesman said, commenting that a betrayal would be heavily punished politically.
‘For these reasons we will be campaigning in the coming months to reinforce the key message that there must be no repeat of 1973; no repeat of the sell-out that has denied us the benefits of an independent coastal state for 40 years.’
This position is supported by Aberdeen Fish Producers Organisation, Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation, Anglo-Scottish Fish Producers Organisation, Clyde Fishermen’s Association, Coastal Producers Organisation, Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, Eastern England Fish Producers Organisation, The Fish Producers Organisation, Fife Fish Producers Organisation, Interfish Producers Organisation, Isle of Man Fish Producers Organisation, Klondyke Fish Producers Organisation, Lowestoft Fish Producers Organisation, Lunar Fish Producers Organisation, National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, New Under 10m Fishermen’s Association, North-East of Scotland Fishermen’s Organisation, Northern Producers Organisation, Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation, North Sea Fish Producers Organisation, North Atlantic Fish Producers Organisation, Orkney Fish Producers Organisation, Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, Scottish Fishermen’s Organisation, Shetland Fish Producers Organisation, South-West Fish Producers Organisation, Wales and West Coast Fish Producers Organisation, Welsh Fishermen’s Association, West of Scotland Fish Producers Organisation and Western Isles Fishermen’s Association.
