Scots crews applaud UK decision to win back fishing rights

BRITAIN will today begin the process of ‘taking back control’ of its waters from the European Union by reducing the number of foreign boats that can fish close to its coastline.

Vessels from five European countries are allowed to fish within six and 12 miles of the coastline under the London Fisheries Convention.

But the process of leaving the agreement – which will take up to two years to complete – will be triggered by ministers today.

Yesterday, Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: ‘Leaving the London Fisheries Convention is an important moment as we take back control of our fishing policy. For the first time in more than 50 years we will be able to decide who can access our waters.’

The Scottish Government backs the withdrawal, with Fisheries Secretary Fergus Ewing calling it ‘a move we have been pressing for some time’.

He said: ‘Our priority is to protect our fish industry and allowing unrestricted access to our waters to remain through this convention clearly would not be doing that.’

The Tories won support across the North-East and in many Scottish fishing communities during the General Election after pledging to leave the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

The deal allows all European countries access between 12 and 200 miles of the UK and sets quotas for how much fish nations can catch. It will be part of the Brexit negotiations.

Although the SNP has spoken out against the policy, the Nationalists’ plans to take an independent Scotland back into the EU would mean the country would have to rejoin the CFP.

Last night, Scottish Fishermen’s Federation chief executive Bertie Armstrong said leaving the convention was ‘warmly welcomed’, adding: ‘Access to our rich fishing grounds will become a matter for us on withdrawal from the CFP. Leaving the London Convention as part of that sends a strong additional message of commitment.’

The London Fisheries Convention – which applies to vessels from France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands – sits alongside the CFP.

The convention was signed in 1964 before the UK joined the EU, so departure has to be separate from Brexit. The deal is more beneficial for EU fishermen, who land a bigger proportion of their catch in UK waters than Britain does in theirs.

Mr Gove, whose father’s fish merchant business in Aberdeen closed down because of EU fishing policy, said yesterday he would not ban foreign fishing in the six to 12-mile zone.

‘But what it is, is our deciding on which basis we allow people in,’ he added. ‘We can decide the terms of access.’

He told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC1: ‘When we leave the EU, we’ll become an independent coastal state, and that means that we can then extend control of our waters up to 200 miles, or the median line between Britain and France or Britain and Ireland, and that means that we then decide.’

He said the CFP has been an ‘environmental disaster’ and that change is needed to ensure there are sustainable fish stocks for the future.

Fisheries Minister George Eustice said that after Brexit Britain would be able to reach trade deals with other nations.

‘The legal position is clear – once we leave the EU we take control,’ he told Pienaar’s Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live.

‘It’s then for us to reach agreements for sharing of quotas and on access... it doesn’t mean no access at all. It simply means that whereas the EU decide now who has access to our waters, in future we will decide.’

‘Protect our fish industry’