The Government has been accused of “sinking” the British fishing industry with its fresh push for closer ties with the EU. The Tories said Andy Burnham is treating coastal communities like a “bargaining chip” ahead of a crunch UK-EU summit on November 20.
A leaked draft of a UK-EU agreement “welcomes” European boats keeping “full reciprocal access” to British fishing waters until 2038, with no pitch to revisit it or get a better deal for British fishermen. In the same document, it states that Celtic Sea fisheries are “suffering from a drastic downward trend” but there is no push for an improved agreement.
Shadow ministers hit out
Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “Labour are sinking the British fishing industry. This is more cost and a worse deal from a Prime Minister who is treating coastal communities as a bargaining chip in his plan to drag the UK back into the arguments of a decade ago. The British fishing industry deserves clarity and a plan for the future, not twelve years of powerlessness with the EU calling the shots.”
Around 1,570 EU vessels are licensed to fish in UK waters, with around 150 EU vessels specifically licensed for the UK's six to 12 nautical mile coastal zone. UK fishers have often described feeling “betrayed” because the 2020 Brexit deal did not deliver a promised control over access or catch shares.
Fuel crisis warning
Shadow Environment Minister Robbie Moore warned British fishermen “cannot pay their bills with diplomatic platitudes”. He urged the Government to offer the sector more fuel support amid rocketing prices which have pushed “profitable fishing businesses to the brink”.
Mr Moore said: “Eighteen months after the first [EU-UK] summit, arrangements for mackerel, blue whiting and herring remain unresolved. The draft offers little more than a vague call for ‘substantial progress’. But British fishermen cannot pay their bills with diplomatic platitudes.
“And combined with the fuel crisis pushing viable, profitable fishing businesses to the brink, this news could hardly come at a worse time.
“While British fishermen struggle with soaring costs, EU competitors are receiving government-backed fuel support — leaving a bitter spectacle of subsidised foreign vessels fishing in British waters while our own boats are tied up in port.
“Andy Burnham must explain where he stands. He has spent years presenting himself as the champion of northern communities and working people. So will he stand up for our fishing communities and condemn his own party’s sell-out?”
Summit plans
Mr Burnham is set to sign fresh deals with the Bloc when he meets with EU leaders at the Brussels summit in a few weeks. He is in the process of agreeing new schemes on food, emissions and youth travel.
Speaking ahead of the Brussels meeting, he said: “It pays to have a good relationship with your neighbours, and the practical deals we are agreeing with Europe will pay off for families across the UK. Cutting red tape on food coming in and out of the country will ease pressure on prices at the supermarket, while making life easier for farmers and food producers. This summit will show what we can achieve when we work together, but it doesn’t need to be the end of our ambition.
“Working more closely with Europe could drive growth, make our country safer and give us more tools to tackle illegal migration. That’s a conversation worth having.”
The Government has been contacted for comment.
