Fisheries boss slams UK-EU deal

Elspeth Macdonald of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation says the prime minister ‘fundamentally misunderstands the industry while giving away Britain’s key bargaining chip’.

The deal gave EU vessels 12 years of access to UK waters and, in return, the UK government pledged £360 million in fishing and coastal growth funding over the same period. The SFF says that figure ‘pales in comparison’ with the £6 billion worth of fish that the EU will take from UK waters in that time.

“It was both insulting and patronising to hear you and your ministers tell us this was a good deal for fishing, because Scottish farmed salmon might, if the EU decides to play ball, be exported without the need for export health certificates at some undetermined point in the future,” said Macdonald.

“If your government had bothered to understand anything about the fishing industry you would know that farmed salmon and wild capture fisheries are completely separate industries.

“You also told us, again patronisingly, that we should welcome the stability of a twelve-year agreement on access. Yet we have spent months telling your ministers that stability in terms of access to waters is the worst possible position for the UK.

“It was the instability of the EU’s access to UK waters from 2026 that was our trump card, and you have not only thrown it away, but ripped it up into tiny pieces before doing so.”

On the coastal and growth fund, Macdonald highlighted that Sir Keir’s mandate only runs until 2029.

“As no future government is obliged to meet commitments made by a previous one, you can in essence, only commit to three years of funding – some £90 million.

“Contrast this to the £450-500 million value of the fish that the EU will take from our waters for the next twelve years - £6 billion, not accounting for inflation or value added – and what little sugar coating you felt there might be in your funding package to sweeten the very bitter pill swiftly vanishes.”