Greenpeace has weighed in on the Brexit debate after David Cameron and Boris Johnson clashed over the impact of the European Union on the UK’s fishing industry.
In an interview broadcast on the BBC’s Countryfile on 5 June, Mr Johnson, from the Leave campaign, claimed that British fishermen needed to be freed from ‘crazy’ EU rules.
In retaliation the prime minister said the UK is ‘better off fighting from within’ and Greenpeace has bolstered this view claiming that the former mayor of London lacks understanding.
Under the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) European fishing fleets are given equal access to EU waters and fishing grounds up to 12 nautical miles from the coasts of EU member states. The policy also seeks to conserve fish stocks, and EU fishing quotas are imposed.
Leave campaigners claim EU rules have devastated British fishing, whilst Remain supporters counter that policies are helping fish levels to recover.
Mr Johnson said that EU restrictions had inflicted a ‘tragedy’ on the industry and as a result the number of people involved in fishing in the UK had halved.
"Look at what's happened to our coastal towns, they are areas where in many cases you've seen too much poverty. Bringing back the fishing industry in those areas would be fantastic," he said.
"Some of the rules, chucking back perfectly good fish to manage the quotas, I mean come on that's got to be crazy, there's got to be a better way of doing it," he added.
But Mr Cameron said the value of the British fishing industry and fish processing industry ‘has gone up’ during his time as prime minister.
He said ‘big changes’ had taken place, bringing in more regional control and removing the ‘mad discards policy’.
"Look at the most recent figures: we're actually allowing our fishermen now to land more plaice, more cod. Over the last five years, the UK-landed fish has actually increased by 20%," said Mr Cameron.
He added: "Is it perfect? No. Are we better off fighting from within? Yes. Is this market vital for our farmers and our fishermen? Absolutely, yes."
In response to the broadcast, Will McCallum, head of oceans at Greenpeace UK, said: “"The livelihoods of thousands of sustainable fishermen are being put at risk not by EU laws but by the grossly unfair division of fishing rights the UK government has overseen.
“The reformed common fisheries policy gives ministers the power to fix this broken system yet they have so far preferred to defend the status quo. Former fisheries ministers from Labour, the SNP and the Conservative party have all come out strongly in favour of remaining in Europe.
“Unlike the former mayor of London, they understand that the root of the problem is in Westminster, not Brussels. The only thing Brexit guarantees is years of bureaucratic wrangling, during which time our fishing fleet will continue to struggle for survival," he concluded.
