Brexit cash pledge for our fishing fleet

AMAJOR funding package will be announced for the fishing sector in the “near future” to help it to take full advantage of Brexit, Michael Gove has said.

The Cabinet Office Minister has insisted that the new agreement the UK has struck with the European Union was the “best possible deal” for the industry as a whole.

The promise of support has been welcomed by a South West fishing leader amid criticism over the compromise agreed with Brussels regarding future fishing rights in UK waters. Under the terms agreed by the EU and the UK Government, 25% of EU boats’ fishing rights in UK waters will be transferred to the UK fishing fleet, over a transition period lasting up to June 30, 2026.

Mr Gove, writing in The Scotsman, insisted the deal would give the UK “control over who comes into our territorial waters” as he also promised cash support for the industry.

The Cabinet Office Minister added: “Where at present British fishermen are entitled to around half the fish in our waters, in 2026 they will be taking two-thirds of our marine wealth – a sizable uplift.

“In the meantime, during the period of transition agreed with the EU for both sides to adjust to the scale of the change, there will be a gradual increase in the amount of fish we are entitled to take.”

He continued: “We will use the time to invest in the UK fleet and our communities, to make sure they can take full advantage of the riches flowing back to us, and to build a sustainable industry and healthy stocks.

“I am delighted to say that details of a major funding package will be announced in the very near future.”

Jim Portus, chief executive of the South Western Fish Producers Organisation, told the WMN that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had recently announced £100 million support for the industry, but it was not known over what period,

whether this was for investment in modernising the fleet and fish processing, or was the same money Mr Gove was referring to.

“Extra funding is welcome, and the fishing industry certainly needs it, especially after this year, but the devil is always in the detail,” he said.

Mr Portus added that, after the “fanfare” of the deal announcement, “it became clear that the deal as far as fisheries is concerned is not what we were hoping for. We were expecting to get more in the way of quotas than we got and will have to wait five years to get the maximum available, so fishermen are far from happy with the arrangements.”