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Brexit: Fisheries Bill unveiled to land 'sustainable' UK fishing industry
Defra Secretary Michael Gove says new Bill will strengthen protection for UK marine environment while boosting British fishing industry
The UK will take back control of its waters after Brexit to deliver a thriving British fishing industry with strong protections for marine life, Defra Secretary Michael Gove promised today at the unveiling of the new Fisheries Bill.
The new Bill, introduced today in Parliament, will end the automatic right for EU fisherman to fish in UK waters. And instead of negotiating fishing quotas with the rest of the EU, the UK will set its own national quotas for British fishermen that will be set "for the benefit of the whole marine environment", the government said.
"This new Fisheries Bill will allow us to create a sustainable, profitable fishing industry for all of the UK," said Gove. "It will regenerate coastal communities, take back control of our waters and, through better conservation measures, allow our precious marine environment to thrive."
"The Common Fisheries Policy has damaged the UK's fishing industry and our precious fish stocks," he added. "The Bill will deliver a sustainable fishing industry, with healthy seas and a fair deal for UK fishermen."
As part of the government's 25 Year Environment Plan released earlier this year, the government promised to "extend the marine protected areas around our coasts so that these stretches of environmentally precious maritime heritage have the best possible protection". It said today it would work with the devolved administrations to fulfil this promise under the new fisheries policy.