SCOTTISH fishing leaders have told Boris Johnson they "stand ready" to welcome a deal with the EU but warn any concessions made now will "never be regained".

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation and the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations have penned a joint letter to the Prime Minister today as the latest round of Brexit talks continue in Brussels.

They have repeated their calls for an annual negotiation on fishing quotas, arguing that the current EU position is"unreasonable and legally unsustainable".

In a criticism of the Common Fisheries Policy, they said that it was time to "right the wrongs" of the past 40 years, adding that "No other country in the world gives away its fish in the way the UK has."

Fishing chiefs have also urged the PM to "hold firm" on his position on fishing, and deliver a deal that the "proud industry" can support arguing there is "no better example of how leaving the EU can bring an immediate and demonstrable benefit for the UK. "

In the letter, SFF chief Elspeth Mcdonald and NFF head Barrie Deas wrote: "It simply cannot be right for an independent island nation to give away 70% of the fish caught in our waters.

"Compare and contrast this with our friends and neighbours in Norway, whose fleet catches well in excess of 80% of all the fish caught in Norwegian seas. In Iceland the figure is even higher, exceeding 90%.

Both SFF and NFFO have welcomed the repeated assurances by you and your government that at the end of this year, the UK will reclaim sovereignty and control access to our exclusive economic zone through annual negotiations with the EU as sovereign equals, just as the EU does with other independent countries, and that your government will not accept any proposals that compromise this."

They added: "We must be in a position to negotiate annually and have a much fairer share of the resources in our own waters. These rights to control and manage our waters will return automatically once we leave the CFP [Common Fisheries Policy] and are no more and no less than other independent coastal States like Norway, and indeed like the EU itself, are entitled to."

The duo said it was essentially the EU's choice of whether the UK becomes an independent state through a "stable framework agreement that respects UK sovereignty" or "via a much more uncertain route."

"This is the UK’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – the Sea of Opportunity - to climb the ladder of successful seafood nations and for the UK to reap the greatest benefit from our sovereign natural resources - not to continue to give them away for the benefit of others. " they said.

Any agreement, they said, must not "perpetuate the deeply unfair arrangements under EU membership adding: "Anything given away now will never be regained, so we urge you hold firm and bring back a deal that our proud industry can get behind."

It comes as one fish firm in Shetland has announced it could move to Norway, putting 200 jobs at risk.

Grieg Seafood previously stated it will cease operations at its five farms on Skye after the current harvest is completed, and now say the Covid pandemic has greatly impacted its operations.

The UK Government has been contacted for comment.