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SFF chief executive, Bertie Armstrong. (Photo: BPA/FIS)
Fishing control restoration deemed essential during Brexit negotiations
(UNITED KINGDOM, 3/31/2017)
Industry leaders insist that during the Brexit negotiations, the complete control of fisheries in UK waters must be dealt with, as the government prepares to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
“The case for repatriating powers entirely to the UK government and the devolved administrations is overwhelming and urges ministers not to sell the industry out,” claimed Bertie Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF).
The leader pointed out that the entire UK industry has united behind this principle, and legally, morally, economically, there are no grounds for any other outcome. In his opinion, anything short of the restoration of complete control would be a colossal betrayal.
Armstrong explained that under international law, it should be right to resume control over their waters, the so-called Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
“That presents a huge sea of opportunity for our fishermen given that under the disastrous Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) we are forced to give away almost 60 per cent of a very high quality natural resource which is abundant in our waters,” the leader stated.
Armstrong compared this practice to France, Spain, Italy and Portugal being compelled to hand over more than half of its grape harvest to other countries for wine-making and considered that that was what the fishing industry in the UK has been made to endure under the CFP.
The leader commented that once the principle of control has been agreed, as a Coastal State Scotland will be open to negotiations over mutually beneficial access on an annual basis like Norway and Iceland.
He added that UK and Scottish government assurances that the interests of the industry would not be sacrificed as they were upon the UK’s accession to the Common Market in 1973 had been welcome.
“We are of course grateful for the positive approach of the two governments, but there is a long way to go and ministers can be sure that fishermen right around our 19,000-mile coastline will be watching and expecting them to live up to their promises,” he concluded.
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