Tag Archives: European Union
Brexit May Be Too Late to Save Britain’s Fishermen
Derek Reader coats the deck of his 40-foot fishing boat in salt-resistant paint ahead of another punishing winter hunting plaice, turbot and cod in the Irish Sea. He hopes it will be his last season. The U.K. has made regaining control of its fishing grounds a central demand in protracted and fraught talks on a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union. Yet the last trawlerman in the English port of Fleetwood, which once boasted 120 vessels like his, plans to sell the MFV Albion and quit the industry. “I voted for Brexit and I hope that we do take back our waters, but it’s too late for Fleetwood,” said Reader, 60. “If a new fishing deal helps me get a better price that’s great, but I can’t make ends,,, >click to read< 09:39
Catches, quotas and communities: the key fisheries issues at stake
Only a few hours after accession talks had begun on 30 June 1970, the UK government was told that a common fisheries policy had been agreed by the original six members of the community. It was a fait accompli. The UK had to hand over equal access to its waters and the catch quotas for each country were fixed on the basis of the recorded catches of the various national fleets between 1973 and 1978. It led to some very unpalatable outcomes, including those in the Channel, where the UK’s share of the cod quota stands at 9%, whereas France’s share is 84%. Today, EU fishing fleets catch 675,000 tonnes of fish in UK waters – 60% of the total caught in the UK sector. British fishermen catch just 88,000 tonnes, or 16% of the fish taken in EU waters. >click to read< 13:39
Brexit: Could a fight over British fish put a Brexit deal at risk? – Why the Brexit Talks Could Still Fail
For generations, boats have left this port to fish in the waters between France and England. Look across the water from Boulogne on a clear day and you can see Dover. It is just two and a half months until the end of the year, and the close of Britain’s transition period. If a Brexit trade deal has not been agreed by that point, Boulogne’s fishermen may face a truly profound change to their lives. Even if there is a deal, access to British coastal waters may be curtailed. If the UK leaves without an agreement, then the impact would probably be felt much more severely. >click to read< , Why the Brexit Talks Could Still Fail – >click to read<, Brexit: Fishing in Troubled Waters – >click to read< 10:30
Will Britain lose another fishing war?
On average, a fish in the North Sea crosses five territorial waters frontiers every day. They don’t have passports or face quarantine. Britain made a fool of itself during the three cod wars it fought with Iceland between 1956 and 1976. British fishermen decided these were “traditional” waters and the Royal Navy was sent in to try and intimidate the Icelandic fishing boats. Other than geo-thermal energy, banking and airlines, the main Icelandic product is cod. They depended on hauling cod of out the northern waters close to Arctic Circle — we looked absurd trying to stop them. Does a new fish war with France, the Netherlands, and Spain now loom? The problem arises partly from the 1982 UN Law of the Sea convention which extended territorial waters out to 200 km. >click to read< 10:09
Investigation underway: French vessel boarded, inspected, and brought to Plymouth Harbour
Britain’s fishing watchdog has confirmed its staff boarded a French fishing vessel a few miles off the Devon and Cornwall coast before bringing it into Plymouth’s harbour for an investigation. As tension rises over the forthcoming Fisheries Bill, the first major fisheries legislation in nearly 40 years which aims to “end current automatic rights for EU vessels to fish in British waters”, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has confirmed it confronted a French fishing vessel a few miles south of the Eddystone lighthouse. >click to read< 11:16
Fishing Rights: Irish fishing group will fight ‘tooth and nail’ against UK quota move
The head of an Irish fishing group has said they will fight “tooth and nail” a move by the UK government to double the catch quota for British fishermen post Brexit. Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation CEO Sean O’Donoghue described the move as “off the wall stuff” and said it will never be accepted by either the EU or Irish government. Fishing rights have become an integral issue of the UK’s Brexit negotiations, with Boris Johnson’s government seeking to have a huge rise in the quota of British vessels in their waters. >click to read< 14:51
EU humiliation: Brutal reality of Canada deal without UK exposed by Brexiteers
The EU’s celebrated trade deal with Canada has been laid bare after a pro-Brexit organization exposed Ottawa has faced a worsened situation since the UK historically voted to leave the bloc. Facts4EU claims Canada’s trade deficit since signing its joint pact in 2016 with Brussels has worsened by 27 percent, to around -€17.5billion (-£16bn), while the deal will be severely hampered when the UK is finally removed from the bloc. When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the trade deficit was at -€13billion (-£11.6bn), Facts4EU say. The organization say the deal with the EU will become “a whole lot less” as Canada sold 43 percent of its goods to the UK, and that when Brexit is concluded it will not enjoy such high levels of trade. >click to read< 12:35
Trade Agreement Reached! European Union to eliminate tariffs on American lobsters
The United States and the European Union have reached an agreement to eliminate tariffs on American lobster, federal officials announced Friday, which could boost exports for Maine’s industry hit hard by trade wars and, more recently, the coronavirus pandemic. Reducing the tariffs has been a priority as Maine lobstermen have been at a disadvantage compared to their Canadian counterparts with respect to exports to the E.U. since the E.U. and Canada signed a trade agreement in 2018. United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and European Union Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan jointly announced the agreement Friday afternoon. >click to read< 15:10
Spanish F/V Pesorsa Dos detained in Irish waters and escorted to Killybegs
The F/V Pesorsa Dos was detained by the Irish Naval Service for alleged breaches to fishing regulations in Irish waters around 25 miles off Malin Head on Friday. She arrived at Killybegs on Tuesday morning after it had taken a few days to recover all of her gear. The Spanish owned gill-netter stands accused of attempting to foul the propeller of the local trawler F/V Alison Kay at the end of June during a confrontation 30 miles to the west of Shetland. At the time fishermen shared a number of video clips showing the incident,,, >click to read< 15:50
With demands for an investigation, Skipper describes how local boats are pushed out of fishing grounds – >click to read<
It’s four years since the Brexit vote. Now what?
On the 4th anniversary of Britain’s historic vote, Megan Revell explains where things stand with Brexit. At the time, Boris Johnson stressed there was no rush … Boris Johnson, 2016: “There is now no need for haste …” But now, as Britain’s Prime Minister, he’s under a time crunch. Boris Johnson, 2020: “Put a tiger in the tank (…) the faster we can do this, the better.” Britain officially left the bloc in January – but talks on a trade agreement – remember, one of the biggest issues of the Brexit debate – have made little progress. >click to read< 10:07
With demands for an investigation, Skipper describes how local boats are pushed out of fishing grounds
James Anderson said the 27 metre long German-registered fishing boat Pesorsa Dos could have caused serious damage to the Alison Kay had she been successful in her alleged attempts of running a line through the Alison Kay’s propeller during an incident off the west coast of Shetland last week. Video footage of the confrontation was widely shared by fishermen on social media and picked up by a number of news organisations. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been informed. Politicians and fishermen’s organisations have called for an investigation to be conducted. >click to read< 08:12
Brexit: EU preparing to row back on rights to fish in British waters
Brussels is preparing to back down over a Brexit fishing deal and acknowledge for the first time that European fleets do not have an automatic right to fish in British waters. In a concession to help to unlock negotiations, Michel Barnier is understood to accept that the UK will have to be treated as an independent coastal state and have annual negotiations with the bloc over fishing quotas from next year. The EU’s chief negotiator told European diplomats that the compromise would have to wait until other parts of the deal were closer to being finalised. >click to read< 22:19
Stranded at Sea in The Time of Coronavirus
Spanish fisherman Josu Bilbao boarded a Qatar Airways flight headed for the Seychelles in January, just as he had done for the past 15 years. Ahead of him, four uninterrupted months of hauling tuna out of the glistening Indian Ocean. As it turned out, catching the fish was the least of the problems for the 56-year-old captain of Albatun Tres, one of the world’s largest tuna fishing boats. The coronavirus then swept the world, countries shut borders, planes stopped flying and Spain became one of the countries worst hit by the virus. Bilbao and his crew were stuck. As the Indian Ocean fleet shift was extended ship owners tried to figure out a way to get workers home. Aboard the ship avoiding infection became the priority. >click to read< 09:43
Fishermen post shocking video footage of ‘intolerable’ behaviour
Fishermen have described the conduct of Spanish gill-netters to the northwest of Shetland as “intolerable” after video footage was posted on social media showing a Spanish gill-netter allegedly attempting to run a rope through the propeller of a local whitefish trawler. This latest video evidence takes the ongoing skirmishes over access to fishing grounds to a new level and highlights why the local fishing industry is so keen to leave the European Union, and with it the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The battle between Spanish gill-netters and local trawler men has been ongoing for a long time with most local whitefish boats reporting over the years that they have been at the receiving end of attempts to drive them out of their traditional fishing grounds. >Video, click to read< 14:46
‘Leave the diplomats out’ and put fishermen in charge of Brexit talks
As the UK and EU teams begin their final round of negotiations this week, Pascal Lamy called for “the politics and legal complexities” to be taken out of the fisheries talks, which are at an impasse. The UK team has accused the EU of not “accepting the reality” that Britain will be an independent coastal state at the end of the year, while the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has rejected UK proposals for annual negotiations on quotas, saying EU fishermen needed “predictability” in the form of continued “status quo” access to UK fishing grounds after Brexit. >click to read< 10:27
Irish fishermen warn of violent clashes with UK boats ‘Give us an agreement! – Irish fishing chiefs have warned of violent clashes with British boats if the European Union fails to reach an agreement for continued access to UK’s fishing waters. Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation has claimed the industry would be plagued by thousands of job loses if Irish boats are locked out of the UK’s fishing grounds. >click to read< 10:35
Distraught UK fishermen face wipe out over coronavirus and EU
The British fishing industry could be “wiped out” because of the coronavirus outbreak keeping fishermen from selling their products to the wider public. The British and Scottish Governments have both issued guidance and rolled out new policies in a bid to help the fishing industry survive the crisis but fishermen have warned their policies may not be enough. Scottish trawler Alistair Sinclair told the Today programme: “We don’t really know what is ahead of us. “There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. We may get to the point where boats are of little value. “Everything we’ve worked for through our life to get where we are today could be erased like rubber on a piece of paper.” >click to read< 07:21
Fishing Presents a Vexing Snag in Brexit Talks
In the pitch black of early morning, huge waves hurled the 30-ton vessel from side to side, drenching crewmen who struggled to keep their footing as they cast the trawler’s nets into the swirling seas. But, once back on the bridge, the skipper, Dave Driver was oblivious to the stomach-churning motion of the boat, and dismissive of the perils of his work — even as he recalled once falling overboard and, on another occasion, rescuing two fishermen from drowning. “I’m my own boss, I do what I want, I think it’s the best job in the world,” said Mr. Driver, who left school at age 15, but now owns the 1.2 million pound trawler Girl Debra, named after his wife. He has only one major gripe in life: the French. photo’s, more, >click to read< 14:51
Top Gov Aide: Britain doesn’t need Farmers or Fishermen!
One of the most senior Government advisers has said the UK does not need its farming or fishing industries, according to reports. In comments seen by the Mail on Sunday, Dr Tim Leunig is understood to have said the food sector was ‘not critically important’ to the country’s economy, and that agriculture and fisheries ‘certainly isn’t’. The economic adviser to the Chancellor, in his leaked emails, is reported to have said ministers could follow the example of Singapore which is ‘rich without having its own agricultural sector’. >click to read< 13:34
Battle lines being drawn over fishing rights
Fish have been served up among the main bones of contention between the UK government and the European Union. The negotiating mandate published on Thursday at Westminster is a long way from the vision for a future relationship for managing wild fish stocks in the European Commission’s proposals. That comes as no surprise to those who have seen the pre-negotiation posturing from the rhetoric of the 2016 Brexit campaign, to the priorities set out by Brussels along with the Withdrawal Agreement. >click to read< 23:13
Emmanuel admits Boris holds ‘fishing card’ but warns trade deal unlikely by end of this year
Emmanuel Macron has expressed doubt over a Brexit deal between the EU and UK by the end of 2020 because of debates over fishing.has expressed doubt over a Brexit deal between the EU and UK by the end of 2020 because of debates over fishing.has expressed doubt over a Brexit deal between the EU and UK by the end of 2020 because of debates over fishing.,, It is now down to Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to negotiate a new trading relationship with the European Union, having already ruled out extending the implementation period. >click to read< 09:03
Will Brexit really bring victory for small scale fishermen or big business?
During the pre-referendum canvassing, Britain’s fishermen were held up by Leave advocates as an example of a ‘homegrown’ industry decimated by what they saw as ‘draconian’ EU regulations. Compliance with the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, (that dictates that member states can’t control their own waters, nor set their own fishing quotas), was, they believed, the reason why. >click to read< 10:13
Brexit at last: Britain leaves the EU as champagne corks fly, Post-Brexit talks gear up for fish fight
The United Kingdom finally cast off from the European Union on Friday for an uncertain future, with Brexiteers claiming victory and popping champagne corks for an “independence day” they said marked a new era for the country.,, On the white cliffs of Dover, the message: “The UK has left the EU” was projected between a British and an EU flag. >click to read< 07:51
Post-Brexit talks gear up for fish fight between EU, UK – When it comes to U.K.-European Union relations, there’s nothing like slapping a fish around. After all, both sides have been contesting who rules their waves practically since the United Kingdom became a member in 1973. >click to read<
One day before Brexit and Breton fishermen fear the worst!
“Cataclysm”, “catastrophe”, “brothel without name” … Breton fishermen are on the warpath with the approach of Brexit, which could deprive them of a large part of their fish resources and create enormous tensions in the English Channel. “A Brexit without agreement for fishermen, it will be a real disaster. Their worst fear: a hard Brexit, without agreement with the United Kingdom, which would prohibit access to British waters overnight. “It would be a cataclysm,” recognizes Olivier Le Nezet, president of the Breton fisheries committee. >click to read< 21:38
Brexit: Fishermen on high alert as EU trade talks loom
The UK is leaving the EU on Friday night after which both sides will get ready to talk about its future relationship with the aim to conclude these negotiations by the end of the year. Documents from the European Commission show that the EU’s negotiation position clearly aims for continuing with the status quo of reciprocal access to fishing waters and resources. Meanwhile the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is quoted as saying that access to UK waters must continue for EU fishing boats if the UK wants a trade deal on banking. >click to read< 11:19
Cornwall fishermen frustrated by Brexit surveillance changes
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is extending surveillance to “deter and detect illegal fishing by any vessels in English waters”. The extra checks are being done in port and at sea using boats and aircraft. Fishermen based in Newlyn, Cornwall said “we feel under so much scrutiny that people have given up”. The MMO said the changes would bring vessels under 10m in line with other fishing boats around the coastline. >click to read< 12:15
UK fishing town warns Boris Johnson over Brexit
Welsh fishmonger Lenny Walters has a warning for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he celebrates his one-month anniversary in office on Saturday. If he goes back on his promise to deliver Brexit at any cost on October 31: “I think there will be riots.” “People are getting nasty,” the 67-year-old said while filleting monkfish with a razor-sharp knife. Locals see Johnson as their last great hope for reviving the local fishing industry. Their trust in his ability to do so is not terribly strong. “Do I have faith in Boris? I am not sure,” fish merchant Mark Davis said after a moment’s thought. >click to read< 16:09
EU bans cod fishing in Baltic Sea
The EU announced Tuesday an immediate ban on fishing cod, the staple of Britain’s fish and chips, in most of the Baltic Sea in response to an impending stock collapse. Alerted by scientists, the European Commission, which oversees the management of fish stocks in European waters, warned of ‘a rapid decline’ in cod stock ‘if no action is taken’. ‘We must act urgently to rebuild the stock, both in the interests of fish stocks and fishermen,’ said European Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella in a statement. >click to read< 18:30:
Danish fishing communities fear Brexit could sink them
In the small fishing town of Thyboron on the northwestern coast of Denmark, many fishermen worry the British waters they have become increasingly dependent on will be out of reach when Britain leaves the European Union.,,, Since the 1970s, EU fishermen have had access to British waters under a deal, that many in Britain saw as unfair. Now some see Brexit as a chance to “take back control” of their waters and keep foreign vessels out. “This town could end up closing down because of Brexit,” says fisherman Michael Bork, 36, who has been fishing since the age of 10. 31 images>click to read<10:40
CETA and Atlantic Canada’s fishery: From international trade to the outport stage
As trade grows between Canada and the European Union (EU), the results of this international partnership are washing ashore in fishing outports across the province. The fishery, which was historically the economic foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, is today an industry continuously beset by cuts, declines and uncertainties. But in recent years, words of hope and rebound are growing in the public discourse. With tariffs declining and opportunities arising, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU has the potential to play a key role in the livelihoods of harvesters and processors. >click to read<11:12
Wasteful Regulation: British fisherman throw two TONS of sea bass worth £20,000 back into the sea due to strict EU fishing quotas
This is the extraordinary moment a fisherman was forced to throw two tons of sea bass worth £20,000 back into the sea due to strict European Union fishing quotas. Joel Dunn, 32, recorded one of his crew plucking sea bass from the huge catch and hurling them one by one back into the waters after accidentally catching the fish as part of their haul. EU rules designed to protect sea bass from over-fishing mean catches with more than three per cent sea bass must be put back. >click to read<08:16
