Fisheries demand once again shows European Union’s true colours over Brexit

The European Union is once again showing its true colours as Denmark tells us that, postbrexit, they want access to our fishing grounds. As usual, of course, they don’t tell us what we will receive in return – if anything.

Fishing in Scotland is a hot potato in political terms, though not so much so in the rest of the UK as it accounts for less than 1 per cent of GDP and fewer than 10,000 jobs.

The real question in all this is not about fishing or the fishing communities, it is about the deal we will eventually get from the EU, and what we will have to give in return. Probably quite a lot.

The European Union is not interested in a deal, they wish only to preserve their own financial position and make surethatthepresentstructure of the EU is maintained. We voted to leave.

JAMES MACINTYRE Clarendon Road, Linlithgow Messrs Morrison and Pacey (Letters, 24 March) fail to appreciate that it was the Tories who considered the fishing industry expendable when negotiating with Europe.

The SNP and Scottish government have always campaigned to reform the EU Common Fisheries Policy and this was confirmed in the 2014 referendum White Paper. The bulk of fishing is in our waters but successive Scottish governments have been denied a seat at EU negotiations.

Also, every area in Scotland with large fishing industries voted to Remain in the European Union as the majority of voters knew that most of Scottish landings goes in exports to Europe, and earlier this year the Clyde fishermen left the pro-tory Scottish Fishermens’ Federation as they didn’t agree with their policies.

The sight of Nigel Farage, who only attended one out 44 fishing committee meetings as a UK member, throwing fish into the Thames is laughable and sums up the fact that the pro-brexit supporters still haven’t a credible plan on fishing or anything else.

FRASER GRANT Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh I am relieved that the five expensive armed vessels protecting fisheries south of the Border will be run by the Royal Navy. They at least understand weaponry.

This may not be necessary in patrolling the fisheries but it will be needed in other tasks. These include countering terrorism and drug-smuggling, where firepower may be necessary. The vessels may also be deployed in other defence roles to justify the much greater initial and running costs. Scotland manages much less expensively with its unarmed fleet.

What is more alarming is linking the protection of UK waters to memories of the naval role in the Cod Wars of the 1970s in the waters around Iceland. The Scottish Office played its part in restoring peace with Iceland in the 1980s. Leith provided the location for signalling this with an Icelandic protection vessel moored alongside a Scottish one for a reception.

Maybe such diplomacy was beyond Westminster and Whitehall. Perhaps memories were still raw in the distant water fleets of Fleetwood, Hull and Milford Haven, with an event in Leith being less noticed and provoking.

LV MCEWAN St Albans Road, Edinburgh