Fishing industry will thrive outside EU says Gove
LEAVING THE European Union will create a “sea of opportunity” for the UK fishing industry, according to Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
Brexit will enable the industry to “dramatically increase” the amount of fish caught and set a “far more sensible, environmentally wise policy”, Mr Gove said.
He said he didn’t think anyone envisaged anything other than a free trade arrangement between Britain and the European Union.
Mr Gove told BBC Radio Scotland: “There is a sea of opportunity for us out there as we leave the European Union.
“No deal is indeed better than a bad deal, but I think that, because we have a trade deficit with the European Union, because they sell more to us than we sell to them not just in agriculture but also in other manufactured goods as well, it’s clearly in the EU 27’s interests to come to a deal, but more than that, it’s in our interests to be able to dramatically increase the amount of fish that we catch.
“We can do so because once we take back control of our territorial waters, we can decide who comes here, we can decide on what terms and we can also have a far more sensible, environmentally wise policy which enables us to conserve and grow the stock of an amazing renewable resource.”
He said that leaving the EU allows the UK to set higher environmental standards.
“It’s sometimes been the case, not just in fisheries but in agriculture and other areas, that people have tried to suggest that high environmental standards work against economic success.”
The European Union has “inhibited our ability” to set the right environmental targets, Mr Gove said.