EXCLUSIVE: EU fleet in UK waters is still 3 times size of UK fleet in EU waters

Facts4EU.Org’s summary of the uneven and stormy seas after Brexit deal sell-out

Latest Government information shows just how ‘unlevel’ the waters are for British fishermen

On Friday (15 Jan 2021) important new figures on fisheries were published by the Government about permitted catches, and about the numbers and tonnage of UK boats allowed to fish in EU waters versus EU boats licensed to fish in UK waters.

In the absence of the BBC researching and reporting on this, Brexit Facts4EU.Org reviewed the latest information from the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), from the official UK Marine Management Organisation (MMO) which is the United Kingdom Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA).

We have analysed the data, and our summary for ordinary readers and MPs is below.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Licences issued – tonnages of UK and EU boats licensed to fish in each other’s waters

NOTE: From 1 January, UK and EU vessels were not permitted to fish in each other’s waters without a licence. The information below relates to the 12-200 nautical miles of UK and EU waters. Eligibility for licences to fish in the 6-12 nautical miles of UK territorial waters have still not been agreed. Likewise, no agreement has yet been reached with Norway and the Faroe Islands, so UK vessels are not permitted to fish in their waters and vice versa.

Total tonnage of UK boats licensed to fish in EU waters: 140,779 tonnes
Total tonnage of EU boats licensed to fish in UK waters: 410,023 tonnes
The EU fleet’s licensed tonnage in UK waters is almost three times that of the UK fleet in EU waters

No. of UK boats licensed to fish in EU waters: 1,074
No. of EU boats licensed to fish in UK waters: 1,398 (30.2% more)
And the average EU fishing boat is well over twice the size of the average UK fishing boat

Catch limits only provisionally agreed until 31 March

The UK government, following consultation with the devolved administrations and the Marine Management Organisation, has set provisional catch limits in line with the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

These provisional catch limits apply until the end of March and there are then liable to be extensions until annual negotiations finally conclude.

Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK’s fishermen will see small year-on-year increases in their share of the total allowable catch, and these will take place over a period of five-and-a-half years from now.

These small improvements for UK fishermen will therefore not conclude until 10 years after the British people voted to leave the EU.

Observations

We have deliberately kept the above information as simple as possible. The whole area of fisheries, allowable catches, quotas by species, zonal attachment, etc, is very complex.

Whilst we have all the detailed information, we have homed in on the basics for everyday readers and MPs. The messages are simple:-

The EU fleet in UK waters is three times the size of the permitted UK fleet in EU waters
Over 30% more EU boats are allowed into UK waters than vice versa
The average EU boat in UK waters is 2¼ times the size of a UK boat in EU waters

One of the iconic symbols of Brexit was the regaining of sovereignty over UK waters

The result? Not even close. Forget ‘level playing fields’, what about the uneven seas?

Brexit is not "done" and the challenges mount

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Contrary to most popular reports, Brexit is not “done”. Not yet, at any rate. Please help us to improve it to a version much closer to the one people voted for in 2016.

[ Sources: UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) | Official UK Marine Management Organisation (MMO) ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sun 17 Jan 2021

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Reader Comments 13

1. William Pentelow , Sunday, January 17, 2021, 08:01:

If you cannot see by now that Boris along with May is anti British and pro EU you never will.

2. William Pentelow , Sunday, January 17, 2021, 08:07:

"No. of UK boats licensed to fish in EU waters: 1,074"
Many of these "UK boats" are in fact EU boats registered in the UK, so the situation is far worse than your article suggests.

3. Ann Silva , Sunday, January 17, 2021, 08:29:

Get our navy in there!

4. Jim Harris , Sunday, January 17, 2021, 10:53:

Of course it is. They demanded that we depleted our fishing fleet, and moved their trawlers in. Just one of the reasons we needed Brexit.
We have five years to build trawlers and catch our own fish instead of paying them for our own fish. If you want to blame someone, look at John Major and Tony Blair.

5. Lesley Church , Sunday, January 17, 2021, 10:56:

Every day another depressing truth. We have no leader who truly cares for the hard working people of this country. I truly despair. Approaching 67yrs, elderly Mum in a dementia care home. The only blessing for her is she’s in a kind caring place and memory loop of 2mins, living in the moment. She has no concept of what we are living in. Public services decimated over many decades for what?
My worry is for those still young enough to need a working, sustainable life that includes freedom of choice.

6. Mike S , Sunday, January 17, 2021, 11:57:

As expected, yet more take than give from the EU side & allowed to do so from the pathetically weak UK government who cannot & will not stand up for the British people against anyone for fear of losing a few pound's sterling from their own personal off shore bank account's! This is just another example of being screwed over by the EU & supported by Remainer/Rejoiner's here in the UK so they can upend democracy & throw into our face's a few, "told you so's" our way when it is deliberate sabotage from within the UK encouraging & supporting the EU to carry on in such way's! If Brexit fail's, it's the fault of all who aided the EU to behave in a 'Forth Reich' manner right here in the UK!

7. kb , Sunday, January 17, 2021, 16:19:

This situation has arisen no doubt because we traded it for other aspects of the deal. If we had not given them this fishing deal we'd have lost out on something else.
A few months back I said UK fishing will be decimated by Brexit. Everyone on here said I was completely wrong, sometimes in a very rude way. But look what's happening now. Scots shellfish exporters dumping their catches, because they can't get through customs in time, something F4EU has been strangely quiet about.

8. Julie kinsley , Sunday, January 17, 2021, 19:33:

Why so surprised shit scared of offending the bloody God awful French.

9. Surprised , Monday, January 18, 2021, 05:18:

UK fishing lasted a week outside the EU. A week.
I really hope Brexiteers have a plan, any plan, other than bulldog spirit.
Remain said this would happen. This will be a long year.

10. One eyed king , Monday, January 18, 2021, 07:31:

Lets be clear, fishing had not been decimated by brexit, it has been decimated by politicians. Just like farming. Just like ship building. Just like mining. Just like heavy manufacturing, just like every industry we had. If it was profitable, it was joined in merger then exported. Or legislated away. Sold out from within.
The narrative of the pr machine, defending the politico is obcene. You are traitors

13 comments, page 1 of 2

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