The UK Government has been accused of “surrendering” the rights of British fishers in a controversial new agreement with the European Union, as Scottish First Minister John Swinney launched a scathing attack over the 12-year extension for EU vessels to access UK waters.
Mr Swinney expressed outrage at the deal, which was reportedly finalised during a late-night meeting ahead of a key summit in Brussels. The Scottish Government, he said, had not been consulted in the negotiations – despite fisheries being a devolved matter.
“The fishing industry looks as if it’s been surrendered by the United Kingdom Government as part of its negotiations,” the First Minister stated. “Scotland is clearly an afterthought in the UK Government’s decision making. This is nothing new – Scottish fishing interests have repeatedly been negotiated away by successive Labour and Conservative governments. Sir Keir Starmer’s Government is simply the latest offender.”
The deal, struck by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, preserves the current post-Brexit access rights for EU vessels until 2038. While officials insist there has been no reduction in Britain’s fishing quota, and no increase in the EU’s, industry leaders and political figures north of the border argue the agreement has let Scotland down.
The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) went as far as to describe the deal as a “horror show”. Elspeth Macdonald, the Federation’s chief executive, declared: “This deal is a horror show for Scottish fishermen, far worse than Boris Johnson’s botched Brexit agreement.
“It is clear that Sir Keir Starmer made the whole deal on the backs of our fishermen and coastal communities, granting EU vessels 12 years of continuous access to UK waters at the last minute in order to secure other objectives. Giving away a national asset such as our rich and healthy fishing grounds for no discernible benefit is a disgrace.”
Scottish Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said the UK Government had agreed the fisheries element of the deal “without any recourse, involvement or approval of devolved administrations”.
Mr Swinney reiterated that claim, saying the Scottish Government had not been privy to any details of what was being negotiated. “We’ve not seen what’s been talked about or what’s been put on the table,” he said. “This runs counter to promises made during the Brexit referendum.”
The UK Labour Government has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. Scottish Conservative MSP Tim Eagle, the party’s fishing spokesperson, said: “This agreement is an absolute disaster for the Scottish fishing industry. Sir Keir Starmer and the UK Labour Government have not just surrendered to the European Union’s demands, they have totally capitulated to them.”
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He added: “The deal is a shameful betrayal of our fishermen and will go down like a lead balloon in our coastal communities across Scotland.”
However, Phil Taylor, director of the marine conservation charity Open Seas, offered a more nuanced view. “The debate about the length of the fishing deal and the amount of access granted to EU boats is missing a key point. Some of the biggest UK fishing companies are EU-owned, and many Scottish boats still land over half their catch directly to the continent,” he said.
“The real question politicians must answer is how this deal will benefit our seas and our communities. What conditions will be applied to those accessing this public resource, regardless of their nationality?”
While the UK Government has not yet publicly responded to the Scottish Government’s accusations, political tensions between Westminster and Holyrood continue to escalate, with fisheries once again at the centre of a bitter post-Brexit row.
