WE’LL SEND IN GUNBOATS
As No Deal looms, UK’s threat to protect fish
FOUR Royal Navy vessels will be dispatched to Britain’s territorial waters if a trade deal is not agreed with the Eu.
Armed with cannon and machine guns, they will patrol the English Channel and Irish Sea to stop illegal fishing.
In a dramatic ratcheting-up of No Deal contingency planning, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters are also being placed on standby to help with coastal surveillance.
And military personnel have been seconded to the Joint Maritime Security Centre to help deal with any clashes in fishing grounds.
The naval ships could even be ordered to impound rogue French fishing vessels.
The potential deployment evokes memories of the Cod Wars of the 1970s. At times the Royal
Navy stopped Icelandic boats interfering with British trawlers. The move is unlikely to calm tensions ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for a decision on whether trade negotiations should carry on.
Boris Johnson yesterday warned No Deal was now ‘very, very likely’, meaning Britain would have to trade with the EU under what he calls an ‘Australian-style relationship’.
The Prime Minister had tried to speak directly to Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel but the French and German leaders rebuffed his approach.
As Mr Macron refused to budge on fishing quotas, insisting he was unwilling to ‘give up my share of the cake’:
Mr Johnson met Michael Gove and senior officials last night to vet No Deal plans in case he abandons trade talks tomorrow;
The Governor of the Bank of England insisted the financial system was in an incredibly strong position;
However the pound fell and analysts warned No Deal could wipe £36billion off the value of leading companies;
Farmers feared for sheep flocks because of the prospect of crippling export tariffs;
Roads to the Channel ports were again jammed yesterday.
Fishing rights have been one of the key
‘In an incredibly strong position’
sticking points in the trade talks, with the two sides bitterly divided over how much access EU fleets should continue to have to British waters.
Earlier this week the EU suggested it should continue to enjoy the same access as it does now for at least another year – even under No Deal. That idea has been rejected by UK ministers.
The Ministry of Defence has spent months drawing up contingency plans for a number of outcomes at the end of the transition period on December 31.
It is feared that a No Deal result could lead to clashes between rival boats – with internal government warnings of EU fisherman continuing to fish in UK waters at the end of this month.
A 34-page ‘official sensitive’ document on reasonable worst- case scenarios states: ‘EU and UK fishers could clash over the lost access to historic fishing grounds, and there could be a significant uplift in illegal fishing activities.’ The Royal Navy has drawn up a range of enforcement measures to protect the UK’s status as an ‘independent coastal state’.
Its four vessels would be deployed ‘ when it gets feisty’, government sources said.
It is understood the Navy is preparing to deploy two Batch 1 vessels and two Batch 2 vessels, which are almost 300ft in length and weigh 2,000 tons. The Batch 1 vessels are equipped with 20mm cannons and 7.62mm machine
guns. The Batch 2s have 30mm MK44 Bushmaster cannons. A Navy source said: ‘It’s highly likely you’ll get a couple of those at sea on New Year’s Day.’ The insider added that requests for assistance would come from other government departments adding: ‘ We will lean in to support wherever required.’ A government source said: ‘They’ll be able to support border force and step in when there are boats in our waters that are not compliant and not willing to exit.
‘If there’s a fishing vessel within 12 nautical miles that isn’t willing to leave that is when the Navy will step in’.
As well as providing a physical presence and deterrence, the vessels will be able to inspect vessels if needed. The Navy has eight offshore patrol vessels and has sent their crews on courses to learn about fisheries protection. Helicopters could be drafted in to search for groups of vessels.
Mr Gove warned in October that the Navy would be patrolling British waters in the days after the transition period. The Cabinet Office minister said they would ‘make sure no one is abusing their rights when it comes to access to our fishing waters’.
Top brass have put 14,000 personnel on standby to respond to No Deal and help with the rollout of coronavirus vaccines and potential severe weather events.
Norway yesterday said it might close its fishing waters to European and British vessels from January 1. Oslo concluded a bilateral agreement with Britain in October but first wants this to be part of a trilateral deal with the EU.
‘If we do not get a deal by January 1, we will not open Norway’s economic fishing zones to vessels from the EU and Britain,’ said fisheries and seafood minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen.