Leading fishing industry figures have warned their colleagues to expect blockades at UK ports, enforced by French rivals, if those French rivals are denied access to the country’s territorial waters as part of a post-Brexit trade deal.
However, those who are warning of such disruption have nonetheless urged David Frost, the UK’s chief negotiator, to not be deterred and to implement plans for Britain to become an independent coastal state by the end of the year. British negotiators have thus far rebuffed the European Union’s fisheries proposals, which are a continuation of the status quo. Mr Frost has called for fishing rights to use the principle of “zonal attachment” which is based on where fish are found, rather than what is used in the bloc’s Common Fisheries Policy.
The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations has claimed this policy could spark a backlash from French trawlers who profit from unfettered access to the UK’s fishing grounds. The federation has said that France benefits from 84 percent of the cod in the English Channel and the UK just nine percent of its own waters.
The NFFO’s Barrie Deas has said : “Given there is a line down the middle of the Channel, you could expect zonal attachment to be something a little bit more equal. If there is any change to those quota shares or any other aspect that affects French fishermen, as day follows night there will be blockades – they’ve done it for much less in the past”.
The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation has said : “We’ve been clear from the outset that what we want is a new system of quota sharing based on zonal attachment, based on where fish are actually found and not on the historical practices of many years ago. If you look at the 12 or 13 key commercial species for the Scottish fishing industry and all of these, a quota sharing arrangement based on zonal attachment would bring a significantly higher quota share for the UK”.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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