Why we need a good catch at fishery talks
NO disrespect intended to Irish coastal communities at a tricky time for them. But in Brussels, there is an old maxim that many EU endeavours begin with high diplomacy – and end in a big row over fish.
Thus, fish is big on the Brexit menu this week. Yet it has always been an important factor in this fractious and slow-running divorce between the EU and UK.
The EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) tries to mirror its more celebrated cousin, the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), which emerged from marathon talks in 1962.
The CFP was put together more slowly, and in stages between 1970 and 1983, and from the outset it had a big focus on conservation of fish stocks as fishing boats swiftly became more efficient and worries about stock depletion grew.
In some ways, the CAP has since caught up with its fishing cousin on conservation issues as global warming, nitrate pollution and other issues like habitat depletion grow.
There is no doubt that when Ireland entered the then-EEC back in January 1973, Irish fisheries interests played a very poor second fiddle to those of the vastly bigger argiindustry.
But the Brexit fallout raises several interesting questions relating to fisheries.
While the UK fishing industry is small in economic terms – arguments continue as to whether it accounts of 0.5pc of GDP, or even as little as 0.12pc – the sector still packs a big political punch.
UK Europhobes have often seized upon the issue as emblematic of how London must wrest control back from Brussels. We could be heading back to the “cod wars” of the 1970s, with the UK declaring and enforcing a 200-mile fishing coastal limit to the exclusion of EU fishing vessels.
Ireland is among seven member states with a keen interest here. The others are Spain, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden.
Viewed from here, the threat of a no-deal Brexit risks shutting out Irish fishermen from lucrative UK waters.
It is not widely appreciated in this country that one-third of all Ireland’s fish, in value terms, are caught in British waters.
That includes 60pc of mackerel and 40pc of prawns.
Irish coastal communities would be devastated by the lack of some kind of workable arrangement on access to UK waters.
You can replicate those kinds of national arguments across the six other EU member states, all of which have their own internal political spinoffs. The fishing industry is huge in northern Spain, and in France, where President Emmanuel Macron is under big internal pressure, this issue needs some delicate handling.
Yet there is still a sense in Brussels that of all the problems ahead, this one is resolvable. There have been frequent hints over recent weeks in the EU bubble that a fish deal was in sight – but these have been as quickly denied.
There are three big outstanding fishery issues. These concern how UK stocks might be shared out; what kind of access EU vessels would get to UK waters; and how often any deal should be reviewed.
Let’s recall that in December each year there is an annual EU internal dogfight over all these matters.
So far, the UK is offering a three-year phase-in period for new arrangements which could be reviewed on a yearly basis.
Brussels sees this as a recipe for instability, mistrust and an annual war.
There’s some way to go but a deal on anything – and especially fish – would be a huge help.