Anger over Johnson's Brexit deal: British fishermen feel "cheated"

Monday 28 December 2020

Anger over Johnson's Brexit deal
British fishermen feel "cheated"

From an economic point of view, fisheries play only a minor role in the Brexit negotiations, but Great Britain and France are symbolically exaggerating them. The British Prime Minister Johnson promises that no fisherman will be worse off. Those affected see it very differently.

British fishermen feel betrayed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal. "Boris Johnson promised us the rights to all the fish swimming in our exclusive economic zone, but we only received a fraction of it," said the head of the National Federation of Fisheries Organizations (NFFO), Andrew Locker, on BBC Radio 4. "I am angry, disappointed and feel betrayed." Johnson had promised that no fisherman would be worse off. But now there are "a considerable number" who are far worse off than before the deal.

When the UK was still a member of the EU, fishermen could have traded with the community. "We traded things that we didn't need for fish they didn't need. And that enabled us to set up an annual plan," said Locker. Now the British fishermen would have to fight hard to keep their livelihoods.

Minister of State Michael Gove disagreed. Britain will be in a much stronger position than the EU, Gove told the broadcaster. Under the EU's common fisheries policy, British fishermen would only have access to 50 percent of the fish in British waters. That number will now rise to two thirds by 2026, said Gove. The country will invest in its fleet and infrastructure and can further increase its share.

From an economic point of view, fisheries only play a minor role, but it was symbolically heavily charged by Great Britain and France on the EU side and one of the most difficult points in the negotiations on the Brexit trade pact. Ultimately, London made big concessions. European fishermen initially only have to forego a quarter of their catch quotas – staggered over five and a half years. Should London later restrict their access further, Brussels could respond with tariffs.

Farewell on December 31st

Great Britain left the EU in January and is only a member of the EU internal market and the customs union for a transitional period until December 31. Then comes the economic break. On Christmas Eve, London and Brussels agreed on the new trade agreement that will regulate economic relations between the island and the continent from January 1st. The most important point is to avoid tariffs and ensure that trade is as smooth as possible. In addition to fishing, the contract also includes cooperation on energy, transport, justice, police and many other topics. Without an agreement, customs duties and costly delivery controls would be necessary.

Due to the short lead time, the EU can no longer ratify the agreement on time. Therefore, the contract may initially only be applied provisionally. However, this requires the approval of all 27 EU countries. The EU Parliament must then review the agreement retrospectively in January.