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Scottish fishing fleet should expect blockades under Brexit, say industry leaders
The Scottish fishing fleet could more than double its catch when the UK leaves the Common Fisheries Policy - even if it means a blockade of exports and extra bureaucracy, industry leaders have claimed.
The claims come as Brexit trade talks started again with access to UK fishing grounds the major stumbling block. Industry figures insisted there should be no extension beyond December, regardless of the downside.
Elspeth MacDonald, of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said: "Further extension causes more uncertainty and our members have had uncertainty for four years since the referendum.
"If there are wider reasons for extension there are no reasons we cannot leave the Common Fisheries Policy and become an independent coastal state.”
Macdonald said her organisation favoured the Norwegian model where “control of fisheries trumps access to trade” in the future.
She pointed out that at present UK boats take 40 per cent of stocks in British territorial waters whereas Norway which negotiates its own deal with the EU takes 85 per cent of fish in its territory.
In a briefing as the fourth round of talks began Macdonald said there must be no compromise from the UK government on becoming an independent coastal nation at the end of the year.
The EU wants access for European boats to continue as before and link access to an overall trade deal
UK Ministers have assured the fishing industry they would rather no deal than compromise on fishing rights wit the feeling that many cabinet members want to use a lack of agreement on fishing as an excuse for a hard Brexit in December.
Barrie Deas of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, which represents the industry in the rest of the UK, said the EU fleet fished six times as much in UK waters as British vessels did in EU waters which “gives the UK quite a lot of leverage” in talks.
He added: “On the EU side, the leverage is the threat to withhold a trade agreement unless the UK concedes on fisheries. This is something of a nuclear option.”
Deas said he fully expected a repeat of channel port blockades by French fishermen if they lose access to UK waters.
He said: “If there is any change to those quota shares or any other aspect that affects French fishermen, then as day follows night there will be blockades. They have done it for much less in the past.”
Both leaders said they expected a compromise to emerge later in the year after Boris Johnson meets with the EU Commission at the end of June.
Macdonald said: “To get this right, it means there must be no concessions to access to fishing waters other than those granted through annual negotiations as an independent coastal state just as all our neighbours do.”
She added: “Getting this right will give the Scottish fleet the opportunity over time to as much as double the amount of raw material that it catches and that can bring wider benefits to the wider supply chain and to our coastal communities.”
Källa: MSN.com
Länk: Scottish fishing fleet should expect blockades under Brexit, say industry leaders