And so it begins - access EU financial markets in exchange for fishing UK waters

[Zak33]

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-br...KBN1ZN1VM?il=0

Now we all know the fnance sector is worth LOADS more money than fishing...but it's our coastline... we have spent decades trying to protect our fishing, allowing fish stocks to replenish against the odds to something vaguely useful.

Fishing rights were part of the Bexit movement... seeing Spanish trawlers stealing fish from the Thames estuary was less than 15 years ago. Common Fisheries policy was/is a bucket of fetid nonsense. So we get out.. and then immediately we're looking down the barrel of another neogtiation.

[Smudger]

Hang on, aren't all the fishing rights in the hands of 5 or six big companies, mostly foreign-owned?

I'm not sure why fisheries were such a big thing, they've not been in the hands of local fishermen for years, bring in less money than a whole host of other operations, and we don't eat most of the fish that gets caught here anyway.

[Zak33]

Hang on, aren't all the fishing rights in the hands of 5 or six big companies, mostly foreign-owned?
.

yes.

Spanish and Icelandic and Dutch companies owning boats registered to UK and also a load of quota hopping.. where UK fisihng groups invite Spanish boats in to "share" their quota for some cash on the hip

The hope had been that we'd get our own sea back.. and be able to tell them to poke it.

Yes it often sells abroad.. that's OK if it's getting good money back into UK coffers.. but if we need the fish in future, to feed ourselves.. it's good to be incontrol of that resource.

[Zak33]

Greenpeace wrote a superb piece on it.. Im trying to find it....

[Zak33]

Bingo...

https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/201...-uk-fleetwood/

I think thats one of the best potted histories I've read.

the fnal paragraphs foretold this

But there’s no guarantee that the UK will win new quota in the Brexit negotiations. Other European member states will fight hard to retain their current access to UK waters, and they have plenty of bargaining chips – not least the access to European markets upon which many British fishermen depend.

Should the hoped-for quota dividend not be won, Brexit currently has little to offer fishermen but a continuation of the status quo (and perhaps a relaxation of EU rules intended to finally end overfishing). However, outside government, others are pushing to make Brexit the point at which the UK address its existing distribution of quota. This coalition of small-scale fishermen, academic experts and conservationists (including – declaration of interest – Greenpeace UK, which has campaigned for years for quota reform) argues that the need to write new fisheries law in the UK can be the opportunity to reassert the fact that fisheries are a public resource, and to give ministers the power and the duty to distribute quota in a way that secures the greatest social, environmental and economic benefits.

The Common Fisheries Policy has been a cataclysmic waste of fish. Each boat has a "quota" and when they land their fish.. they make a judgement call on whether they could get a better haul of better fish.. and if they devide they can.. they throw all the last catch overboard, dead.
Then they roll the dice again and try for a better bag.

If they catch fish on the banned list.. they have to throw them back.. and most die as they were hauled out by net from deep water and dnt survive the shock

Every fisherman in the UK shakes his or her head and has done for decades. To throw food away... by the million ton.....

[Corky34]

Everyone knew what they were voting for.

[neonplanet40]

Everyone knew what they were voting for.

I hear the sarcasm but I agree with the sentiment.

I said numerous times after the vote that no one REALLY understood what they were voting for. And I constantly got shouted down for claiming (which I didn't) that leave voters had no ability to think and rationalise, or were too stupid to know what they were voting for. (not on Hexus, but on groups I frequent - Hexus is much too nice for that ). This was never my argument.

However, my argument was always that the vote NEVER had a clear picture of what a post brexit UK would consist of. The public were told that we would very much get our cake and eat it with the EU as the trade talks would be the easiest trades talks ever held (didn't some key tory members/ ukip etc say this to similar effect?). Likewise, key figures all made a variety of statements illutrating a post Brexit UK that could never exist. Again, you can't have your cake and eat it. Thinking otherwise means your overinflate your countries worth in the grand scheme of 28 member states and a system which the rest will remain a part off.

The reality is that a post brexit UK wasn't illustrated in detail (in any grown up factual way) prior to the vote. So when people like me piped up that much of this 'taking back control' nonsense was going to have to be given back in return for trade, no one believed me as they believed the politicians who were making contradictory statements, or statements based on thin air. Or downright lies such as 'get Brexit done by the 31st Jan 2020'.

So this talk on fisheries is only the tip of the iceberg. Over the next year we will see exactly what Brexit actually means for the UK and trade with the EU. TO get a deal, much 'control' will have to be sacrificed OR a trade deal with the EU will be sacrificed.

In my view, it will be leaving with either No deal or an extremely poor deal for the UK. Thankfully, at this point it will not be long before this is all wrapped up either way and we will have a much better idea of what a post Brexit UK (if there is a UK?) looks like.

It will be interesting to see what the leave voting fishertown Scots think of this news.... As they were promised full control over fisheries post Brexit and as part of the Yes/No referendum.

Then again, to believe a politician is to invite disappointment.

Apologies for the rant. For those that cba reading, basicially - duh. No shocks at all at this news. It's only the start.

[Zak33]

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-br...-idUKKBN1ZS05S

Under the Fisheries Bill, Britain will leave the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy at the end of the 11-month Brexit transition period on Dec. 31, giving it the power to operate as an independent coastal state.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that would allow Britain to operate its fish stocks sustainably outside the EU.

“we are going to be taking back control of our own fishing waters. The EU should be in no doubt about our determination on that issue.”

[neonplanet40]

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-br...-idUKKBN1ZS05S

I hope that this continues AFTER a trade deal has (or not) been negotiated. I guess we will see in a year or so...

[Zak33]

I hope that this continues AFTER a trade deal has (or not) been negotiated. I guess we will see in a year or so...

My guess.. taking back control now means we can give it away later in a deal

[Galant]

My guess.. taking back control now means we can give it away later in a deal

The Huawei deal has brought that very thought to my mind...

[Domestic_Ginger]

AFAIK It is debatable how much control we will get.

The UK is signed up to the UN Law of the Sea Convention which allows countries to establish an Exclusive Economic Zone of up to 200 nautical miles from their coast. If the UK were to leave the EU we could have control of all fish which were within this zone. But, the same laws also require countries to ensure that fish stocks are conserved and that the allowable catch is specified and where necessary shared with other countries.

Countries such as Norway have this 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone in place, they also have agreements with a number of countries, and with the EU to allow fishing in those waters.

Thats from fullfact.org

Our fishing quota as I understand is is already sold to large firms. This has been done as far back as the last labour government.

Of a large concern is that the UK's water total 13% of those of the EU. We sell 80%+ of our catch and import 80% of what we eat. Without a trade deal and the probability of export checks as well as tax what impact is our inability to sell our catch going to have? Reading Zak's post above contains good bits.

If it all goes fallow it may not be such a bad thing for the fish stocks!

[Galant]