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– The fishing industry sees the agreement as a defeat. This is what the leader of the fishermen’s organization, Barrie Deas, told Reuters.
Disputes over fishing rights in British waters led to overtime negotiations.
Only on Christmas Eve did the parties agree.
“The fishermen were slaughtered”
The fishermen believe that their industry was sacrificed so that the Prime Minister could announce a deal by Christmas.
British fishermen believe they have been slaughtered by the Prime Minister to get a Christmas deal. The picture shows the “It’s About Time” fishing trawler off Newhaven in October.
Photo: Glyn Kirk / AFP
– The fishing industry was betrayed in order for the country to reach a final deal with the EU, says Barrie Deans, writes The Guardian.
The fishermen note that they were promised full control of fishery resources in British waters if the majority voted to withdraw the British from the EU.
“In the end, the prime minister relented, despite previous promises,” Barrie Deas, leader of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations, writes The Guardian.
Fish as an ultimatum for the EU
If the British don’t give up, Britain could “get out of the EU” without a deal.
– We respect and accept it. But if the British stop accessing EU ships, they will have to accept a restriction on access to the domestic market, said Michel Barnier, who is the EU’s chief negotiator.
The British government had to give up its demand for total control over its own waters.
Under the agreement, EU fishermen can continue fishing for a long time in the same way as now.
Today, French fishermen catch about a quarter of the catch in British waters. British fishermen are unhappy with the Brexit deal. The picture shows the French trawler ‘Manureva’ near British waters.
Photo: Pascal Rossignol / Reuters
Gradually, the EU will cede up to 25 percent of its fishing quotas over a transition period of five and a half years.
The EU’s access to British waters will then be negotiated annually.
– The EU started by wanting a 14-year transition period, we wanted three years, we finished in five years, Prime Minister Johnson said at Thursday’s press conference.
Fish as a symbol of sovereignty
But this does not hold up, British fishermen believe, reports the BBC.
Fishermen from EU countries can fish around ten kilometers off the British coast. The British fishing industry had demanded that it double.
This, Deas believes, can be a source of irritation.
– I think there will be a lot of frustration, he says, adding that British waters are seen as an important symbol of national sovereignty.
To get hit on Wednesday
Next Wednesday, the final agreement will be defeated in parliament. It is considered a formality because the Labor Party says the party will vote for the deal.
Former British chief negotiator David Davis cautions against a hasty process, writes The Guardian.
Boris Johnson has reached the hands of fishermen after the agreement with the EU on Christmas Eve. The photo is from when he visited the fish market in Grimsby in December 2019.
Photo: Ben Stansall / AP
Davis criticizes the fact that only one day has been set aside for debating and voting on the final Brexit deal.
Dissatisfied Danish fishermen
But the deal has not been well received by everyone in the EU either. The Danish fishing industry believes the deal could cost Danish fishermen their jobs.
– We have access to British waters, but the price is too high, says the leader of the Danish Fisheries Association, Kenn Skau Fischer to the Ritzau news agency.
– If it is correct that the EU should pay with 25 per cent of catches in British waters, then we are concerned because we immediately think that it sounds like an uncomfortably high price, he adds.
Formally, the British left the EU on January 31 this year. However, due to an 11-month transition period, the actual date for the British to leave the EU is January 1, 2021.
