Extra funding will help fishing industry angered by deal terms

THE last-gasp post-Brexit trade deal with Europe came like an early Christmas present for all those fearing a no-deal exit from the EU. But, just like other gifts at this time of year, some want to send them back or exchange them for something that suits them better.

And as the details of the deal began to emerge and the Christmas present was unwrapped and exposed to scrutiny, so sectors hardest hit by compromise made their voices heard.

Of all of them, fishing, an historic and economically significant industry in the Westcountry, was the most vocal.

Fishing rights were a key sticking point in trade deal negotiations, and fishermen, many of whom voted for Brexit, felt they had been sold out by the compromise agreed, which sees a gradual shift over a number of years in the amount of fish that can be caught.

Andrew Locker, chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said they would be “absolutely worse off” as a result of the deal. “I am angry, disappointed and betrayed. Boris Johnson promised us the rights to all the fish that swim in our exclusive economic zone and we have got a fraction of that,” he said. “We are absolutely worse off. When we were within the EU, we used to trade fish with the EU. We used to swap things we didn’t use with fish that they didn’t use and that enabled us to put together an annual fishing plan.

“What we have got now is a fraction of what we were promised through Brexit.”

Others argued that, instead of “taking back control” of our fishing waters, the Government had “bottled it”, “sacrificed the industry” and “caved in”.

Announcing the deal, Prime Minister Boris Johnson came well armed for the predicted backlash, admitting that compromises on fishing had been a hard consequence of forging an agreement, but promising to pump £100 million into the UK’s fishing industry to prepare it to take advantage of quota increases in the coming years.

A senior member of the UK’s negotiating team also defended the agreement, saying ground had been given on both sides and adding: “Although there is a transition, at the end of the transition it returns to normal arrangements, and we have full control over our waters.

“There’s a transition to that point and ideally we would have got out of it a bit faster, but where we’ve got to is acceptable and offers gains for the fisheries industry in the short run and a huge right to control everything and work within that after this five-and-a-half-year transition.”

News that financial support to grow the fishing industry is on the table is to be welcomed, and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has now added to speculation by talking of a “major funding package” to be announced “in the very near future”.

Whether this is the same money as that offered by Mr Johnson or additional funding will soon become clear, but should be welcomed by an industry that has endured a challenging year and was hoping for more from the deal.