(06 July) – The UK outlined plans to overhaul its fishing policy on Wednesday, insisting that it would decide unilaterally how much access to give to EU boats after it leaves the bloc next March.
The UK claims that boats from other EU countries landed around 760,000 tonnes of fish worth €600 million per year from its waters between 2012 and 2016 compared to €125 million of fish stocks landed by UK boats from other EU countries during the same period.
The government wants to separate the issue of access to its waters from that of how much British fish is exported to the EU in its Brexit discussions with Brussels, including the sector as part of a wider settlement on food and drink.
For its part, the European Commission’s Article 50 Taskforce led by Michel Barnier argues that EU vessels must continue to be allowed unfettered access to fish in UK waters if London wants to continue selling its products into the EU market. (EurActiv)