No Deal Brexit would have a positive impact on Britain’s dying fish industry, minister claims
George Eustice said the UK could 'control our own resources' and would rejoin a North Atlantic agreement to gain access to European waters in the event of a No Deal Brexit
A NO deal Brexit would spark a boom in Britain’s ailing fishing industry, Fishing Minister George Eustice declared Wednesday.
The Tory Brexiteer told MPs that Brussels talks collapsing would give “fishermen a big increase in their fishing opportunities because we will have control of our own resources”.
He added that would have a “positive impact” on the industry.
And he told the Environment Committee fishermen have “nothing to fear, as fishing is one of the key areas where we would gain” without a deal with the EU.
Mr Eustice added that British boats would still have access to European waters as the UK would rejoined the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.
He also told MPs that securing a new agreement to end the scallop wars in the English Channel would be “the right outcome”.
Talks between British and French officials and industry representatives are being held in London on Wednesday after clashes between fishermen harvesting the shellfish off the coast of northern France.
About 35 French boats confronted five British craft off the coast of northern France last week, with UK crews reporting that rocks, smoke bombs and other projectiles were hurled at them during the confrontation.
The clashes occurred in a scallop-rich area known as the Baie de Seine off the coast of Normandy.
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