Saving Seafood

EU fishing deal ‘far from acceptable’ to Scottish industry

November 20, 2018 — The industry had expected the UK to withdraw from the Common Fisheries Policy on the day of leaving the EU.

But the UK government has now agreed to be “consulted” on arrangements with the EU continuing to set quotas.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation said it falls “far short of an acceptable deal”.

The UK government has denied betraying its promise to “take back control” of the UK’s fishing waters after Brexit.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said: “We have secured specific safeguards on behalf of British fishermen.”

He said the deal specified that in 2019 “there is a commitment that the UK’s share of the total catch cannot be changed”.

The spokesman added that, from 2020, “we’ll be negotiating as an independent coastal state and we’ll decide who can access our waters and on what terms”.

The UK and the EU said they had agreed on a “large part” of the deal that will lead to the “orderly withdrawal” of the UK.

Brexit negotiators Michel Barnier and David Davis said they had agreed terms for a transition period, calling the announcement a “decisive step”.

The transitional period is set to last from 29 March 2019 to December 2020, and is intended to smooth the path to a future permanent relationship.

Both the UK and the EU hope the terms of an agreement on the transitional period can be signed off by Prime Minister Theresa May’s fellow leaders at the EU summit this week.

Bertie Armstrong, of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said the Scottish industry did not trust the EU to look after its interests.

Read the full story at BBC News

 

Terms agreed for Brexit transition, interim fisheries arrangements

March 21, 2018 — Brexit negotiators have agreed on many of the terms for a time-limited implementation period that they believe will provide greater assurances for businesses and citizens across the European Union and the United Kingdom during the separation process.

A transition period is set to last from 29 March 2019 to December 2020, which David Davis, U.K. secretary of state for exiting the E.U., said gives everyone the time they need to prepare for the future, by ensuring access to each other’s markets continues on current terms.

“Businesses need not delay investment decisions, or rush through contingency plans based on guesses about the future deal,” he said. “Instead they now have certainty about the terms that will apply immediately after our withdrawal. Meaning that they can continue to operate and invest with confidence, as the design of our future partnership with the European Union becomes clear.”

Davis also confirmed that specific safeguards had been agreed with regard to the annual fishing negotiations.

“These arrangements will only apply for the negotiations in 2019, since we will still be a member state for those that take place at the end of this year. Through 2020 we will be negotiating fishing opportunities as an independent coastal state, deciding who can access our waters and on what terms,” Davis said. “For the year where it is relevant, we have agreed the European Union will have to consult us ahead of the negotiations. And the United Kingdom’s share of the total catch cannot be changed, protecting the interests of the United Kingdom fishing community.”

However, in a statement, Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF), said the new agreement falls far short of an acceptable deal.

Read the full story at Seafood Source