U.K. to pull out of fishing deal that lets others in its waters

LONDON — Britain is pulling out of an agreement that permits fishermen from five other countries to operate in U.K. waters, the first step in reasserting control over its fishing industry as it prepares to leave the European Union.

It said Sunday it will trigger the two-year process of leaving the London Fisheries Convention, which allows vessels from France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands to fish between six and 12 nautical miles off the U.K. coastline.

Britain signed the convention before it joined the EU, and would be bound by its terms after leaving the bloc unless it starts to withdraw from the treaty now. EU regulations govern fishing in the zone between 12 nautical miles and 200 nautical miles from shore, giving other member states the right to fish in U.K. territorial waters as long as they comply with the bloc’s rules.

“This is a historic first step toward building a new domestic fishing policy as we leave the European Union — one which leads to a more competitive, profitable and sustainable industry for the whole of the U.K.,” said Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

Britain had about 6,000 fishing boats in 2015, which landed 708,000 tons of fish worth about $1 billion US, according to the government. Vessels from other convention members caught a fraction of that, about 10,000 tons.

Irish fishermen called it an aggressive move, though they expected it.

“The access for us is huge, but the access between six and 12 is not our greatest priority,” said Sean O’Donoghue, CEO of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organization, a large producers’ group based on Ireland’s west coast. “Our access is between the 12-mile limit and 200-mile U.K.-wide limit. That is the important one.”

Ben Stafford, of WWF, said after leaving the EU and the London Convention, Britain must continue to focus on protecting its fisheries because fishing policy is “about a lot more than which country fishes where.”

It is about ensuring fishermen use the right fishing gear, fishing takes place at that maintain sustainable levels, stocks and “we pioneer ways to monitor what is happening at sea in order to understand the impacts of fishing.”