Scottish Government backs plan to withdraw from EU fisheries deal

some time now. Our priority is to protect our fishing industry and allowing unrestricted access to our waters to remain through this convention clearly would not be doing that.

“We cannot rely on the UK government to do that, having regularly put the interests of fishing communities elsewhere in the UK ahead of those in Scotland. It is vital therefore that all powers over policy be repatriated to Scotland and current EU funding for fisheries be matched and transferred to Scotland in full.”

But Labour’s shadow environment secretary Sue Hayman said the “provocative” move could risk talks on a free trade deal and said Labour opposes a hard Brexit which the party believes would jeopardise jobs and environmental sustainability.

“It is another example of the Tories’ reckless approach to Brexit,” she said.