Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe / Bloomberg
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe / Bloomberg
Scottish fisherman Peter Bruce hoped Brexit would enable him to catch more cod, one of Britain’s favorite fish dishes. Instead, he worries that he will end up with less.
While Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed that last month the UK would regain control of its fishing waters through the trade agreement by taking back 25% of the European Union’s rights over five years, many fishermen bird let down. They are upset about the fact that the stock has fallen far below the original claims and could mean even smaller amounts of some significant catches.
“One of the species we are most concerned about is cod,” said Bruce, who has been fishing the waters off northern Scotland for decades. “We were hoping to get more quotas. I’m sorry to say it looks like we’ll have less. ”
Although it was a small part of the economy, fishing was a major issue that kept trade talks going and became symbolic after European single market membership caused its downfall. The government says the deal will allow Britain to catch an extra $ 146 million ($ 199 million) of fish, helping an industry that has been booming since the 1970s.
Under the agreement, the fleet could catch more mackerel and herring, but some fishermen could be left behind with smaller amounts of cod and haddock – a preference in the iconic UK fish and chip dish.
A fisherman works to sort fish from the boat About Time in English Chanel, UK 10 January.
Photographer: Jason Alden / Bloomberg
Read more: a quick overview of why fishing was so important in trade talks
The UK landed nearly 1 billion pounds of fish in 2019. Johnson originally demanded an 80% reduction in EU rights in British waters before giving up land for a agreement made. Britain has some of the most fertile fishing grounds in Europe, but had to share it with other countries.
The agreement also means that quota swaps – where rights to species are exchanged between boats – may no longer be possible for the British navy. The Scottish Government has said that the amount of cod they can catch in the North Sea will drop to 57%, from 63.5%. Many of the mackerel and herring caught by British boats are sold on the mainland.
Although quota exchanges between individual countries will no longer be allowed, the UK and the EU will hold separate talks on developing a new mechanism. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said on its website that the UK envisages the needs of fishermen to prioritize the needs of fishermen.
It is still unclear what the outcome will be, and it means more uncertainty for the industry.
“They’ve given way too much,” said Bruce, who works for Peterhead, Britain’s largest fishing port. “It only takes control back in name.”
Work slump
British fishermen have deteriorated in recent decades
Source: Marine Management Organization
The industry wanted Brexit to compensate for losses suffered over the past five decades after the country swapped its vast fishing grounds for access to the common market, but that has not yet happened, said Scottish fishing company Jimmy Buchan, the fishing company. said. There is also disappointment that foreign boats will still be able to catch within 20 kilometers of the British shores.
“One of the golden nuggets we just gave away was not to keep foreign vessels within 20km,” says Rob Wing, who runs the Cornish Fishmonger, a wholesaler in the south west of England. “Most of our industry could be helped so significantly.”
Read more: How Brexit talks finally overcome suspicion, resentment and fish
Perform misery
Traders are also worried about sales to the mainland, their leading export market. New red tape causes shipments to be delayed, causing perishable goods to rot at customs stations. Many carriers no longer take mixed loads of seafood due to the complicated paperwork.
“You need a doctorate in exports to adapt to this,” said Victoria Leigh-Pearson, sales director of salmon company John Ross Jr., who delayed a shipment to Europe for six days due to the containers of customs. “Food is wasted by this.”
Some British vessels have even decided to land their catch in Denmark to facilitate the process and eliminate the business for British processors, said James Withers, chief operating officer of Scotland Food & Drink. He estimates that seafood traders are currently losing 1 million pounds of exports a day due to the customs chaos.
The Port of Newhaven, UK, 9 January.
The increased paperwork also means extra costs, making British businesses less competitive, especially smaller businesses, says Buchan, who is also CEO of the Scottish Seafood Association.
Read more: Scottish boats reported fewer fish ashore due to Brexit delays
Of course, the agreement also has benefits. This will allow the British navy to land more in general, and these extra quantities will benefit processors – the intermediary between fishermen and retailers – going forward, Wing said. The government has pledged a £ 100 million package to help rebuild fleet, age infrastructure and expand the capacity of the processing sector to handle the extra catch.
Many are also happy to get rid of the restrictive regulations in the EU, such as having to bring all fish caught in the country.
Lost Fish
French fishermen are the biggest losers due to limited access to British waters
Source: European Commission
The key questions ahead are how quickly the industry can build new ships and upgrade ports to take advantage of the new agreement, and what the future holds in 5 1/2 years.
Johnson suggested that better terms could be sought in annual negotiations once the invasion period was over, although the UK and EU could use retaliatory tariffs if they did not agree. Many in the industry doubt that the government will address the concerns of the fishing industry when new negotiations begin, but rather focus on sectors with a greater economic impact.
“Despite the high political profile, we have not been able to move anything like the distance we had to move,” said Barrie Deas, CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations. “There is now a lot of skepticism in the industry that 2025 or 2026 will be different.”
– Assisted by Siddharth Vikram Philip and Nikos Chrysoloras
(Add Defra comment in the eighth paragraph, comment on the export in the 15th paragraph, graph on land catches)