Brexit. British fishermen blame Boris Johnson for surrendering

British fishermen on Saturday blamed the Prime Minister Boris Johnson to have sold at a discount the fishery resources to the European Union within the framework ofa post-Brexit agreement that grants European ships significant access to British waters, a criticism also formulated by some politicians.

The United Kingdom will effectively leave the community bloc and its common policies on December 31 at 11 p.m. GMT.

But the post-trade dealBrexi concluded on Christmas Eve predicts that current fishing standards will mostly remain in effect for five and a half years.

Once this period is over, consultations will be held annually to adjust the levels and conditions of EU access to UK waters.

Boris Johnson said on Thursday, following the announcement of a deal with Brussels, that the two sides had agreed on a transition period ” reasonable “ for European fishermen’s access to British waters.

The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations said on Saturday the fishing industry had been sacrificed by Boris Johnson. “Ultimately, the Prime Minister made the decision and gave in on the fishery, despite the rhetoric and guarantees ”, she said in a statement.

“There is of course going to be a massive public relations exercise to describe the deal as a fabulous victory, but this one will inevitably be seen by the industry. fishing as a defeat “, she added.

The UK government argued that the deal reflected the UK’s new position as an independent and sovereign coastal state and that the deal raised the share of UK fishermen – equivalent to 25% of the value of EU catches in British waters.

“This corresponds to £ 146 million for the British fleet, phased over more than five years’, said the government. “This puts an end to the dependence on the fleet Britain’s inequitable ‘relative stability’ mechanism part of the common fisheries policy […] ».

Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, however, accused Boris Johnson of having “Again sold fishing Scottish ”. “Promises they knew they could not keep have been broken “, she said.

If fishing was not of great economic importance in the negotiations between London and Brussels – it represented barely 0.003% of the British economy in 2019 – this issue was seen by supporters of Brexit as a symbol of sovereignty found after leaving the EU.

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