NO FOREIGN FISHING IN OUR WATERS
Brexit bonus as Britain takes back control of coasts
BRITISH fishermen will have the exclusive rights to a 12-mile zone around the coastline under post-Brexit plans to “take back control of our fishing policy”.
Five EU nations, including France and the Netherlands, which currently have permission to fish up to six miles from our shores, will be banned from fishing the area. Between them, the five countries catch thousands of tones of fish worth millions of pounds within the zone off British shores.
However, the Government will announce tomorrow that it is withdrawing from the London Fisheries Convention. This will mean the five countries will be banned from fishing within 12 miles of the coast.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove, whose father Ernest’s Aberdeen fishing business closed down because of Brussels bureaucracy, said: “Leaving the London
Fisheries Convention is an important moment as we take back control of our fishing policy. It means for the first time in more than 50 years we will be able to decide who can access our waters.
“This is an historic first step towards building a new domestic fishing policy as we leave the European Union – one which leads to a more competitive, profitable and sustainable industry for the whole of the UK.”
Signed in 1964 before the UK joined the European Union, the London Fisheries Convention allows vessels from five European countries to fish within six and 12 nautical miles of the UK’s coastline.
An estimated 10,000 tons of fish, including mackerel and herring, was caught by fishing vessels from Convention countries France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands in 2015 within 12 nautical miles of the British coast – worth an estimated £17million.
The agreement sits alongside the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which allows all European vessels access between 12 and 200 nautical miles of the UK and sets quotas for how much fish each nation can catch.
It had already been announced that Britain will no longer be bound by the CFP post-Brexit, but without action, restrictions under the historic London Fisheries Convention would have still applied.
Tomorrow, the UK will notify the other Member States signed up to the Convention, triggering a two-year withdrawal period.
As announced in the Queen’s Speech, the Government will introduce a Fisheries Bill to control access to the UK’s waters and set fishing quotas once we have left the EU.
Britain’s new fishing policy will “allow the fishing industry and coastal communities to thrive, in line with our international obligations, as we build a deep and special partnership with the European Union after Brexit,” said a Defra statement.
A source said: “This is another sign Brexit is happening and that we are taking back control. British fishermen will be very happy.”
A defining image of the referendum campaign last year was Nigel Farage having a slanging match with Sir Bob Geldof while the then Ukip leader sailed down the Thames with disgruntled fishermen. Yesterday, speaking about leaving the convention Mr Farage said: “That’s good as far as it goes, and to claim Sovereignty over our 12-mile fishing limit is a start, but international law changed in 1976 and our rights now are 200 miles or the median line from the mainland so what I want to know is are we going to claim our full rights under international law?” Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said: “This is welcome news and an important part of establishing the UK as an independent coastal state with sovereignty over its own exclusive economic zone.”
Ben Stafford, head of campaigns at WWF, said: “Achieving sustainable fishing is about a lot more than which country fishes where. It is about ensuring that fishermen use the right fishing gear, that fishing takes place at levels that maintain sustainable stocks and that we pioneer ways to monitor what is happening at sea in order to understand the impacts of fishing. Leaving the EU means we could get these things right.”
Brexiteer Tory MP Jacob ReesMogg said: “This is really welcome news. It shows clarity of purpose to the EU while offering hope to our fishing communities who have suffered more from EU membership than anyone else.”
The fisheries sector contributes £1.3billion to the economy, employing 34,600 people. There were over 6,000 UK fishing vessels in 2015, which landed 708,000 tons of fish – worth £775million.
WHEN Nigel Farage and a flotilla of fishermen sailed to Parliament last year it was one of the most memorable days of the Brexit debate. The vision of the ex-Ukip leader battling it out with Remainer Sir Bob Geldof in front of the iconic Palace of Westminster will forever be etched in our minds.
However, Mr Farage was trying to make a serious point: Britain’s fishermen have long felt forgotten by their own Government.
The Common Fisheries Policy governs where fleets can fish in our waters and implements strict fishing quotas that have crippled the industry. Our waters became a key element of the Brexit debate and with good reason. No one has suffered more under the EU than our fishing communities.
But now British fishermen will have the exclusive rights to a 12-mile zone around our coastline. This is a step towards taking control of our fishing policy and injecting life into a trade that is vital to families across the country.
The move will mean five EU nations, which are catching millions of pounds worth of fish just six miles from our shores, will be banned from the zone. This is very welcome news – we must regain control over our own waters if we are to be a secure and prosperous nation. Above all, what the Government’s announcement does is give us hope that Brexit is closer than ever.
We are on our way to regaining our sovereignty and Britannia will once again rule her own waves.