The efforts of the UK government to secure fisheries agreements have done little to give Hull-based UK Fisheries confidence for the future of their operations.
According to the company, the lack of deals with Norway, Greenland and the Faroe Islands will scupper UK distant waters fisheries. Factory trawler Kirkella is currently tied up, having completed just a single trip in Svalbard waters this year.
“Since Brexit, the UK has failed to deliver a single access agreement with our coastal neighbours. The Government’s scorecard is getting worse,” a spokesman for UK Fisheries said.
“Kirkella is tied up, and our crews have no work. The UK must make these deals if we are to save distant waters fishing in the north-east of England.”
The company states that while there are no access agreements with Norway, Greenland, Iceland and the Faroes, the UK continues to offer trading partners such as Norway tariff-free access to valuable markets for fisheries products, and getting nothing in return.
“It doesn’t have to be like this. We’re not asking the government for cash, just clear direction from policymakers to our negotiators that they must make these deals and be ready to impose tariffs for on fisheries products if we don’t get fisheries access,” UK Fisheries states.
“If they don’t, we will lose this vital, centuries-old industry forever, along with opportunities for massive inward investment that could mean a brilliant future for our industry in the North-East of England.”
