The UK will become an ‘independent coastal state’ outside the EU Common Fisheries Policy under the Brexit agreement
Scottish politicians and fishing chiefs backed May's deal that rejects EU access to waters and markets
UNDER the agreement the UK will become an “independent coastal state” outside the hated EU Common Fisheries Policy.
It says the two sides should work to establish a new fisheries agreement, covering access to waters and quota shares, “within the context of the overall economic partnership”.
They should “use their best endeavours” to conclude an agreement by July 2020.
This will see a new regime on access and quotas in place for the start of 2021 when the transition period ends.
But Scots Tories - whose dramatic gains in the 2017 General Election were in a large part down to “taking back control” of British waters demanded assurances from the PM that access would not be traded off.
In the Commons yesterday Scots Tory MP Ross Thompson demanded the PM guarantee any future fisheries agreement will never link access to our waters with single market access.
Mrs May said: “This is an issue on which there are very strong feelings within the EU and we have vigorously resisted attempts to link these two issues.
“The fisheries agreement is not something we will be trading off against any other priorities.”
Scottish Secretary David Mundell and fishing industry chiefs also backed the PM’s deal last night arguing the PM “fiercely resisted” efforts by EU states to tie up waters and access to markets.
Mr Mundell issued a furious slapdown to Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP saying he wasn’t “taking any lessons” from Nationalists who want to keep Scotland in the hated CFP.
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And Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, added: “The declaration gives the UK the power to assert its position as an independent Coastal State with practical sovereignty over our waters and natural resources.
“However we know that several EU nations will not give up their attempts to link access with trade in order to retain absolute rights to fish around our coastline.”
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