UK and North American politics. > A look at British politics in the light of the decision to leave the EU.
Can the UK's lost fishing industry be recovered post Brexit?
Carana:
Fishermen were apparently massively pro-Brexit. I recall tales of of an unfair quota system, with lots of fishermen being forced out of business, which made their view fairly understandable (to me).
However, upon reading a bit more about it as my knowledge of the issues was zilch, the CFP appears to have been reformed since those old days.
The frequently heard gripe of "bloody foreigners fishing in our waters"
A few facts, assuming they are correct:
- "The UK has only 13% of the EU's total sea area, but we are allocated 30% of the EU's total quota."
- "The EU is by far our biggest export market; in 2014, exports of fish and fish products to the EU were worth £1.01 billion, almost double the £550 million sold to all other countries combined (2). We run a net trade surplus with the EU in fish and fish products, with exports worth £160 million more than imports."
A few links:
http://nffo.org.uk/eu-referendum/2016/05/13/we-must-not-lose-our-voice-in-eu-fishing-policy
http://nffo.org.uk/eu-referendum/2016/04/15/what-would-brexit-really-mean-for-the-uks-fishing-industry
http://nffo.org.uk/eu-referendum/2016/06/15/brexit-better-for-fisheries-is-pure-fantasy
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stephen25000:
--- Quote from: Carana on July 06, 2016, 09:45:14 AM ---Fishermen were apparently massively pro-Brexit. I recall tales of of an unfair quota system, with lots of fishermen being forced out of business, which made their view fairly understandable (to me).
However, upon reading a bit more about it as my knowledge of the issues was zilch, the CFP appears to have been reformed since those old days.
The frequently heard gripe of "bloody foreigners fishing in our waters"
A few facts, assuming they are correct:
- "The UK has only 13% of the EU's total sea area, but we are allocated 30% of the EU's total quota."
- "The EU is by far our biggest export market; in 2014, exports of fish and fish products to the EU were worth £1.01 billion, almost double the £550 million sold to all other countries combined (2). We run a net trade surplus with the EU in fish and fish products, with exports worth £160 million more than imports."
A few links:
http://nffo.org.uk/eu-referendum/2016/05/13/we-must-not-lose-our-voice-in-eu-fishing-policy
http://nffo.org.uk/eu-referendum/2016/04/15/what-would-brexit-really-mean-for-the-uks-fishing-industry
http://nffo.org.uk/eu-referendum/2016/06/15/brexit-better-for-fisheries-is-pure-fantasy
--- End quote ---
Thanks for that information Carana.
It does put some more myths of Brexit into context of what they claimed, namely fantasy-land.
Carana:
--- Quote from: stephen25000 on July 06, 2016, 10:04:11 AM ---Thanks for that information Carana.
It does put some more myths of Brexit into context of what they claimed, namely fantasy-land.
--- End quote ---
I'd already heard the gripe of "bloody foreigners taking our fish"... but 20% of the fish landed by the UK is caught in the waters surrounding other countries. As someone puts it:
Whose Fish Are They Anyway?
26th May 2016
Why exiting the European Union won’t mean your plaice or mine
“Fish aren’t British or French or Spanish – they’re just fish and they don’t respect national boundaries,” says Debbie Crockard.
https://www.mcsuk.org/press/view/682
Again, it seems to be more of an emotional reaction, rather than a rational one.
There must be a few valid arguments, though. I suppose for any mom and pop fishing businesses with relatively small boats, any huge foreign vessels sweeping through must feel like the Armada. I doubt that I could find the cite right now, but apparently quite a few seemingly "foreign" ones are actually owned by UK companies anyway.
John:
--- Quote from: Carana on July 06, 2016, 09:45:14 AM ---Fishermen were apparently massively pro-Brexit. I recall tales of of an unfair quota system, with lots of fishermen being forced out of business, which made their view fairly understandable (to me).
However, upon reading a bit more about it as my knowledge of the issues was zilch, the CFP appears to have been reformed since those old days.
The frequently heard gripe of "bloody foreigners fishing in our waters"
A few facts, assuming they are correct:
- "The UK has only 13% of the EU's total sea area, but we are allocated 30% of the EU's total quota."
- "The EU is by far our biggest export market; in 2014, exports of fish and fish products to the EU were worth £1.01 billion, almost double the £550 million sold to all other countries combined (2). We run a net trade surplus with the EU in fish and fish products, with exports worth £160 million more than imports."
A few links:
http://nffo.org.uk/eu-referendum/2016/05/13/we-must-not-lose-our-voice-in-eu-fishing-policy
http://nffo.org.uk/eu-referendum/2016/04/15/what-would-brexit-really-mean-for-the-uks-fishing-industry
http://nffo.org.uk/eu-referendum/2016/06/15/brexit-better-for-fisheries-is-pure-fantasy
--- End quote ---
Leslie Girvan – Board member of NIFPO, ex-vice chairman of FAL, owner of three fishing vessels and owner of a Fish Selling company in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland
There is not one single positive aspect of the UK’s suicidal involvement with the European Union – an involvement that has brought about the decimation of the British fishing industry.
The well-worn EU phrase of “too many boats chasing not enough fish” to justify their ever-reducing quota allocations was never a British problem – it was a problem that arose due to the agreement to allow the EU “access to a common resource” which resulted in hundreds of Spanish and French boats being allowed catch fish in British waters.
The time to rectify this situation is now!
John Ashworth – trawl door designer and respected industry commentator
As the designer and manufacture of the Bison Trawl door, I have experienced the unusual position of having worked on trawlers in many parts of the world, not as a fisherman, but a person gaining experience, or teaching how to use the product.
I have witnessed first-hand the damage done to coastal communities, especially Africa, with third country EU agreements, and in the now EU ‘pond’, the inability to manage the marine resource successfully, simply because we have, by our EU treaty obligations, to be run under a political objective.
Charlie McBride — skipper/owner Arcane II
After 40 years of watching blatant mis-management of our fishing industry, and seeing over 60% of the UK’s whitefish fleet scrapped while other EU Member States were given subsidies to build additional new fishing vessels, the time has come to say “enough is enough”.
We must not only halt the EU-driven decline of our industry now, but also to protect the working lives for our children for the future.
More...
Wonderfulspam:
Channel Cod Quotas.
UK fisheries can land 144 tonnes of cod from the channel per year.
French fisheries can land 1660 tonnes.
The fisherman in my town voted leave, unsurprisingly.
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