Fishermen feeling abandoned due to Starmer's Brexit renegotiation strategy
United Kingdom's Fishing Sector Faces Continued EU Control Under New Deal
Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented a plan for a Brexit reset this week, which includes surrendering Britain's fishing grounds to the European Union (EU) for an additional 12 years. This extension of EU vessels' access to British waters will only end in June 2038, five years later than initially planned. Future governments may have the technical ability to revoke the agreement, but retaliatory tariffs on British exports are a possibility should fishing rights be curtailed prior to that date.
The EU, with its significant influence and hard-nosed negotiators, demanded the prolonged control over British fishing waters given the country's rich and productive fishing grounds. Before Brexit, half of the EU's catches came from UK waters.
For fishermen in the UK, the Brexit reset means another familiar betrayal. The quota system under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) had long disadvantaged British fishermen by equalizing access to fishing waters among EU member states. Although the UK gained independence from the EU in 2021, EU fishing vessels retained the right to fish in British waters until 2026, further straining the fishing industry. Over half of the quota, 54 percent, remains owned by foreign interests and a few millionaires, effectively squeezing out small fishing outfits.
Some island nations and coastal countries, like Greenland and Norway, have been proactive in protecting their natural resources from EU interference. The UK, on the other hand, has historically taken a different approach, deindustrializing sectors such as fishing and allowing the growth of unregulated trade in licences. This encouraged the influx of 'quota hoppers' from Spain and the Netherlands, which further eroded small fishing communities' rights to their own resources.
Coastal communities in the UK have suffered from over half a century of political horse-trading, greed, and environmental disaster perpetuated by the flawed CFP. The continuation of these policies under the 2025 agreement is seen as yet another betrayal of these communities. The fishing sector remains in the hands of a few rich fishing monopolies, and small-scale, inshore fishermen continue to leave the industry in despair.
Brian Denny, a journalist, has argued that rebuilding Britain's fishing industry is crucial for the nation and future generations. He states that smaller fishing communities have been sacrificed in pursuit of profits and political gain.
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[Image Credits: Getty]
Enrichment Data Integration:
- According to scientific evidence, British fish stocks were already in chronic decline due to overfishing before the Common Fisheries Policy was implemented.
- The UK government has introduced investment packages to support the modernization and resilience of the UK fishing sector in response to mixed reactions from domestic stakeholders.
- The annual value of fish catches in UK waters by EU vessels has been estimated at around £450-£500 million, while the value of catches in EU waters by UK vessels is approximately £75 million.
- The ongoing politics surrounding the UK's fishing sector has sparked concerns about identity politics, with many arguing that the industry's struggles are a result of general-news neglect and political maneuvers favoring profits over protection of small fishing communities.
- The prolonged control of British fishing waters by the EU, as per the 2025 agreement, has been criticized as a nod towards cancel culture, nullifying the potential for free speech on the matter as retaliatory measures loom over any attempts to revoke the deal.
- As other nations like Greenland and Norway have taken firm stands against EU interference in their fisheries, the UK's approach to politics and fishing, rooted in unregulated trade and environmental mismanagement, has led to a culture of exploitation, leaving small-scale, inshore fishermen in despair.
