The French trawler Le Marmouset III leaving Boulogne-sur-Mer bound for the British waters in the Channel last month.(The Guardian)

Catches, quotas and communities: the key fisheries issues at stake

UNITED KINGDOM
Monday, October 19, 2020, 05:00 (GMT + 9)

The following is an excerpt from an article published by The Guardian:

What are the forces at play as the end of the Brexit transition period looms?

What is the dispute between the UK and the EU over fishing?

British fishing communities have felt that they were sacrificed at the time of the British negotiations to join the European Economic Community 50 years ago.

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%.

Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johson (Photo: The Guardian/FIS)

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.

As an “independent coastal state” outside the EU, the UK will take control of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), stretching up to 200 nautical miles from the coast. The UK government wants to replace the current system with one of “zonal attachment”, which would offer a significant increase in catches for British fishing fleets.

There would be annual talks on access to UK and EU waters. Shares would be based on the percentage of each species of fish in each EEZ. The EU side fear that this will devastate their coastal communities. It is also politically toxic for Emmanuel Macron, the French president, who is facing an election in 2022.

Image: UK Parliament

Why is it so important to both sides?

The value of the fishing industry to the British economy is tiny in comparative terms. It employs just 0.1% of the national workforce and contributes £1.4bn to the UK economy – or 0.1% of GDP.

Fishing is also only really a priority issue for eight EU member states – Ireland, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

But the fishing industry is both romantic and vital for the economic health of often already run-down coastal communities. No politician wants to be seen betraying these communities and losing their votes.

How close is a deal?

The EU has been stubbornly sticking to the position that only the status quo will suffice. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has been particularly keen that the bloc’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, offers little to the British side.(continued..)

What might a compromise look like?

Is it the main stumbling block to a wider trade deal?

The answers are accessible in the full article that you can read clicking the link here

Author: Daniel Boffey / The Guardian

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