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| Leaving EU could end 'unfair' French fishing quotas, says minister | Leaving EU could end 'unfair' French fishing quotas, says minister |
| (3 months later) | |
| Britain would have an opportunity to upend fishing quotas that give a “disproportionately large” share of catches to France if it votes to leaves the EU, according to George Eustice, the pro-Brexit minister for farms, food and fisheries. | Britain would have an opportunity to upend fishing quotas that give a “disproportionately large” share of catches to France if it votes to leaves the EU, according to George Eustice, the pro-Brexit minister for farms, food and fisheries. |
| In an interview with the Guardian, Eustice said that even if it left the EU, the UK would still respect catch limits set out to preserve stocks, some driven to near-extinction by decades of over-fishing. | In an interview with the Guardian, Eustice said that even if it left the EU, the UK would still respect catch limits set out to preserve stocks, some driven to near-extinction by decades of over-fishing. |
| But fish quotas currently shared out between EU nations under the “relative stability” measure could be tweaked to Britain’s benefit, he argued. | But fish quotas currently shared out between EU nations under the “relative stability” measure could be tweaked to Britain’s benefit, he argued. |
| “In the Channel, North Sea and far south-western waters we get a very unfair share of quota allocations,” Eustice said. “In the Celtic Sea, France gets nearly three times our allocation of dover sole, roughly four times more cod and five times more haddock.” | “In the Channel, North Sea and far south-western waters we get a very unfair share of quota allocations,” Eustice said. “In the Celtic Sea, France gets nearly three times our allocation of dover sole, roughly four times more cod and five times more haddock.” |
| “That is because of the principle of relative stability under which allocations are set in stone and never changed. Whether the overall total allowable catch goes up or down, the French share remains disproportionately large. We need to renegotiate that and would have opportunity to do so if we left the EU.” | “That is because of the principle of relative stability under which allocations are set in stone and never changed. Whether the overall total allowable catch goes up or down, the French share remains disproportionately large. We need to renegotiate that and would have opportunity to do so if we left the EU.” |
| But proponents of remaining in the EU view the position as wishful thinking because the UK only possesses 13% of the EU’s total sea area, but is allocated 30% of the EU’s current fish quotas. | But proponents of remaining in the EU view the position as wishful thinking because the UK only possesses 13% of the EU’s total sea area, but is allocated 30% of the EU’s current fish quotas. |
| There is no guarantee, they say, that the UK’s access to EU fishing waters – or those of states such as Norway, Iceland and the Faroes – would be any more generous, in the wake of post-Brexit negotiations that could be acrimonious. Conservationists also fear they would be a disaster for stocks, leading to more unsustainable catches. | There is no guarantee, they say, that the UK’s access to EU fishing waters – or those of states such as Norway, Iceland and the Faroes – would be any more generous, in the wake of post-Brexit negotiations that could be acrimonious. Conservationists also fear they would be a disaster for stocks, leading to more unsustainable catches. |
| The environment secretary Liz Truss wrote in a recent opinion piece: “If we lose the collective bargaining power of the EU, we would be hard-pressed to get agreements as favourable as those we currently enjoy.” | The environment secretary Liz Truss wrote in a recent opinion piece: “If we lose the collective bargaining power of the EU, we would be hard-pressed to get agreements as favourable as those we currently enjoy.” |
| The UK currently exports fish products worth over £1bn to the EU – almost twice as much as the £550m exported to all other countries. EU fish imports to meet domestic processing and consumer demand come to just £227m, according to Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) figures. | The UK currently exports fish products worth over £1bn to the EU – almost twice as much as the £550m exported to all other countries. EU fish imports to meet domestic processing and consumer demand come to just £227m, according to Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) figures. |
| The Leave camp contends that quotas for North Sea fish are set in the Atlantic fisheries commission, in which the EU has just one representative, despite representing 28 nations. Eustice said that leaving the EU would give the UK its own seat at the table and ensure that British interests could be better represented. | The Leave camp contends that quotas for North Sea fish are set in the Atlantic fisheries commission, in which the EU has just one representative, despite representing 28 nations. Eustice said that leaving the EU would give the UK its own seat at the table and ensure that British interests could be better represented. |
| However, the UK would still need to continue to recognise the historic right of some countries to fish in UK waters, including within some coastal zones. | However, the UK would still need to continue to recognise the historic right of some countries to fish in UK waters, including within some coastal zones. |
| It would also continue to be bound by obligations under the UN convention on the law of the sea and the UN fish stocks agreement, whether in or out of Europe. | It would also continue to be bound by obligations under the UN convention on the law of the sea and the UN fish stocks agreement, whether in or out of Europe. |
| Maria José Cornax, the fisheries director of the conservation group Oceana, said that reopening renegotiations on fish catches could have dangerous implications for hard-won rules on sustainable fishing. | Maria José Cornax, the fisheries director of the conservation group Oceana, said that reopening renegotiations on fish catches could have dangerous implications for hard-won rules on sustainable fishing. |
| “It took more than a decade to get a commitment from the EU states to reduce catches to their maximum sustainable yield before 2020 and no individual country would have taken this decision unilaterally,” she said. “We are rebuilding stocks now but if we take a short term political vision instead of a long term, sustainable approach to fish exploitation, we cannot bet on a more sustainable future.” | “It took more than a decade to get a commitment from the EU states to reduce catches to their maximum sustainable yield before 2020 and no individual country would have taken this decision unilaterally,” she said. “We are rebuilding stocks now but if we take a short term political vision instead of a long term, sustainable approach to fish exploitation, we cannot bet on a more sustainable future.” |