The collapse of talks on a fishing quota deal with Norway has exposed the vulnerability of the UK’s fishing industry and left it in a weaker position than when the UK was in the EU, fishing leaders have said.
The prospect of better opportunities for UK fishermen after exiting the Common Fisheries Policy was one of the most potent arguments for Brexit campaigners both before and after the 2016 referendum on EU membership.
The UK has clawed back some of its available stock under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU, which was ratified by the European Parliament earlier this week. Under the deal, 25% of the previous EU quota in UK waters will be transferred to the UK over a five-and-a-half year period which concludes in June 2026, with specific percentages of annually agreed Total Allowable Catches (TACs) agreed for each fishing stock. Mutual access to each other’s waters will be through a licencing system for fishing vessels.
Submitting.
It remains unclear what will happen to the 100 people whose livelihoods depend on this ship being able to sail – what is clear, however, is that fish and chip shops will be reliant on imported cod when serving Britain’s national dish.
What will be the future of the Kirkella after the breakdown of fishing talks between Britain and Norway?
No wonder UK Fisheries CEO Jane Sandell feels so angry on behalf of all those associated with the Kirkella – they and many others, she points out, were promised a “sea of opportunity, not the scuppering of an entire industry”.
As such, the onus is on Mr Johnson – and George Eustice, his Brexit-backing Environment Secretary – to visit Hull, as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has done, and offer the fishing industry an apology and an explanation. They must not hide behind Defra’s view that “Norway is a key partner and we will continue to work with them over the course of the year”. By then, it could be too late for t
No fishing deal with Norway leaves trawler owner contemplating city future as crew left without work
£52m new vessel Kirk Ella left tied up in Hull dock as negotiations end
14:12, 30 APR 2021
Updated
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Hundreds of Hull fisherman have been left without work after the government failed to land a fishing deal with Norway.
BBC News
By Justin Parkinson
image copyrightEPA
The UK and Norway have failed to reach a fishing deal for this year, with the industry warning that hundreds of crew members will be left out of work.
It means UK fleets will have no access to Norway s sub-Arctic waters, known for their cod catches.
The government said its fair offer had been rejected in talks.
The firm UK Fisheries called it a disgrace , saying fishermen in Hull would be particularly badly affected by the lack of progress.
In 2018, UK fleets landed fish worth £32m in Norwegian waters, according to the government.