SCOTTISH fishermen’s leaders today urged ministers to rule out a long Brexit transition for the industry to ensure clarity for UK fleets as they leave the Common Fisheries Policy.

The UK Government has suggested a transition or implementation period post Brexit in March 2019 will last around two years but Bertie Armstrong, Chief Executive of umbrella body the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said that, to fit in with the calendar of international fisheries negotiations, a “bridge” of just nine months was all that was required.

“A transition period should be precisely that; not an excuse simply to extend by two years the period during which we are shackled to the utterly inequitable and hopelessly inadequate CFP.

“The Prime Minister was clear in her Florence speech that for certain sectors of the economy matters could be settled more quickly than two years and the case for a nine-month ‘bridge’ for the fishing industry is absolutely compelling,” he insisted.

On behalf of the industry, Mr Armstrong has written to ministers in London and Edinburgh to set out the federation’s position.

“At the December Council of European fisheries ministers in Brussels this week, fishing opportunity will be set for member states, including this country, for 2018.

“By December 2019, nine months after we have formally left the UK, we will have attended the series of negotiations setting sustainable fishing opportunity in the north-east Atlantic as an independent Coastal State; any other approach would make no sense whatsoever,” explained Mr Armstrong.

He insisted there was no need for a “fishing related cliff-edge,” either on Brexit day or almost three years later, pointing out how a two-year transition for fishing would turn into two years and nine months as it would go up to up to the December Council in 2021.

“The[nine-month] bridge would give clarity and assurance to the UK fleets and those of the EU member states. Some argue that we should close our Exclusive Economic Zone as the clock strikes midnight the day we leave the EU. That is foolhardy. Our bridge is practical, reasonable and conducive to mature relationships in the future.”

Mr Armstrong highlighted the fact that fishermen have been pressing government to take back control of UK waters as quickly as possible to restore equilibrium to the balance of fishing effort; at present, almost 60 per cent of the fish caught in the UK EEZ is landed by boats from other EU countries.