ACCESS to British fishing waters “will be on our terms, under our control and for the benefit of UK fishermen” after Brexit, Michael Gove has insisted.
The Environment Secretary said the UK will take control of 200 nautical miles of fishing territory when it leaves the EU, allowing it to decide who can access its waters and on what terms for the first time in more than 40 years.
He made the comments as he published a post-Brexit blueprint for the industry, which suggests overhauling current rules to claim a much larger share of stocks in British seas.
It argues the UK currently gets a raw deal, with EU vessels landing around £540 million-worth of fish in UK waters between 2012 and 2016, compared to the £110m-worth caught by British ships in other states’ waters.
But Scottish ministers have raised “significant concerns” over the proposals, criticising the UK Government over its lack of engagement and warning they will “resolutely oppose” any attempts to interfere with devolved powers.
Mr Gove said: “There are specific and considerable opportunities for UK fisheries outside of the EU. In 2016, the UK exported £1.17 billion of seafood to the EU, and imported £1.04 billion from the EU.
“Equipped with a new fisheries policy, the UK fisheries sector will be in a strong position to trade seafood with export markets around the world.”
He said market access for fisheries products, which is subject to any future Brexit deal, would be treated as separate to the question of fishing opportunities and access to waters. The EU has previously suggested the two issues are linked.
However he refused to detail what share of catch UK fisherman will be entitled to under his vision, instead suggesting Britain could emulate Norway and Iceland, which keep 80 per cent and 95 per cent of fish caught in their waters respectively.
His White Paper also proposes developing new ways to stop fishermen “catching or discarding fish caught in excess of quota” by fining them.
Tory MP John Redwood said Brexit could be a boost to fish and chip shops, which will be filled with more products from British seas.
But Labour said it was not holding its breath the proposals would be delivered, while the SNP insisted Mr Gove's paper contained a number of omissions.
SNP MP Deidre Brock joked: "We've heard so much about red lines since 2016, but those red lines might now be considered red herrings."
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