Police warning on North Sea fishing rules enforcement after Brexit

Police have warned it is “unrealistic and imprac tical” to expec t officers to board North Sea vessels to enforce fishing rules after the Brexit transition.

Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr told MSPs on the policing sub-committee at Holyrood there needed to be a “bit of realism” about the force’s capabilities.

And he raised concerns “tensions” could boil over next year, including at fishing ports in Scotland.

Uncertainty has surrounded the UK’s ability to police its waters after leaving the Common

Fisheries Policy, which currently determines how many fish countries can catch in different areas.

While giving evidence on Police Scotland ’s preparations for Brexit, Mr Kerr was asked about the role of the force in policing illegal fishing, smuggling and port closures.

He said: “There needs to be a bit of realism as well about what can practically be done offshore, as opposed to what evidence we can gather onshore.

“So obviously this relates to activity outwith the EEZ, the European Economic Zone, which is set at 12 nautical miles. In the middle of the winter, in the middle of the North Sea, it’s unrealistic and impractical for Police Scotland to be thinking about, even in terms of our preparation, practical onboarding of fishing vessels which are 13 or 14 miles out into the North Sea.

“That just isn’t going to happen, realistically.

“So what we’re looking at is contingencies with protocols to gather evidence where there have been breaches and to make sure that onshore we can actually start to address those and, if necessary, engage with the Crown to see what offences have been committed.

“Because there are a range of those tensions – not just tensions with fisheries and shipping offshore, either within or outwith that 12 nautical miles, but tension within the ports among members of the fishing community, both Scotland- based and further afield.”

Issues relating to fishing were just one of the potential problems on the radar for bosses at Police Scotland ahead of what they expect to be a busy year in 2021.

Police Scotland has warned of pressures on the force.