UK fishermen caught in Brexit net as industry faces £300m annual losses

UK fisheries are facing £300 million in losses, a report by the National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations has revealed.

The group has criticised Boris Johnson’s trade deal since it was signed last year, saying he “sacrificed” the industry.

According to The Brexit Balance Sheet report, Britain’s fishing fleets will experience losses of £64 million or more every year, amounting to £300 million by 2026.

It comes after the government claimed the fishing industry will benefit from an extra £148 million by 2026 – but the report said the financial increase is most probably not going to be usable and is thus of little value.

Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations said: “From reviewing these findings, the NFFO’s conclusion is that there are very few winners and a great many losers.”

Twitter wasn’t short of reactions to the news.

Reactions

Sarah Williams said: “Another Brexit bonus! They just keep on coming.”

“Brexit is the biggest misselling scandal,” she added.

One Twitter user said: “Just unforgivable. An industry already struggling decimated by the Brexit they were promised would save them.”

And another added: “You may say I’m not in the UK fishing industry but every loss like this affects the economy and the people who can no longer make a living, which means they need more financial help to survive, provided by tax payer!”

France threatened retaliatory action

UK fishermen are not the only ones who feel like the UK government has not kept Brexit promises.

Earlier this week, France has threatened “retaliatory action” after it accused the UK for “taking French fishing hostage”.

Sea minister Annick Girardin lashed out at the decision to refuse three-quarters of licence applications for small boats in British waters – with only 12 out of 47 French boats under 12 metres granted permission.

She said it is a “new refusal of the British to apply the conditions of the Brexit accord”, adding: “French fishing must not be taken hostage by the British for political ends.”

But UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told Sky News that the decision was “reasonable” and follows the Brexit agreement.

France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune said the country will “not hesitate to take retaliatory action”, sparking fears of another fishing war in the Channel.

French MP Jean-Pierre Pont, who represents coastal town Boulogne-sur-Mer, warned UK’s actions could result in French fishermen blocking ports and lorries wanting to enter the tunnel.

He said: “Be warned. Since the British are refusing to honour what they signed, as with other Anglo-Saxons in another area, the French fishermen of Boulogne-sur-Mer may be obliged, after nine months of useless patience, to envisage ways to retaliate against the UK.”

Andra Maciuca

Andra is a multilingual, award-winning NQJ senior journalist and the UK’s first Romanian representing co-nationals in Britain and reporting on EU citizens for national news. She is interested in UK, EU and Eastern European affairs, EU citizens in the UK, British citizens in the EU, environmental reporting, ethical consumerism and corporate social responsibility. She has contributed articles to VICE, Ethical Consumer and The New European and likes writing poetry, singing, songwriting and playing instruments. She studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield and has a Masters in International Business and Management from the University of Manchester. Follow her on: