TV station, France24 ran a story about British fishermen and Brexit - always helpful to see how other perceive the same story from a different perspective.
"Ninety-six percent of British fishermen voted for Brexit to get their "waters back" and break away from the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy, which they say has damaged their industry. But with the Brexit deadline looming closer, British and other European fishermen who rely on the fish-rich seas of the British Isles are none the wiser as to how leaving the EU could affect their livelihoods.
British fishermen blame the EU's quota system, which sets catch limits per species, for preventing them from earning a decent living. They also want to see fewer boats from other EU countries fishing in Britain’s Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ), an area defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which stretches 200 nautical miles from the coastline. As long as the UK is in the EU, its EEZ is classed as common waters.
But when it comes to the state of fishing post-Brexit, there are quite a few potential problems to anticipate. Overfishing could emerge as a problem if Britain stops adhering to the EU’s quotas, which have helped keep fish resources sustainable. British fishermen currently export 75 percent of their catch, mostly to the EU. If Britain loses free access to its biggest market, its fishermen will have to look elsewhere for buyers. Unfortunately, British consumers are largely uninterested in the cornucopia of species their fishermen catch. Imported cod, salmon and tuna are the most-eaten fish in the UK.
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And with or without Brexit, the livelihoods of small-scale British fishermen are unlikely to improve unless the British government deals with the imbalance in quota ownership. Greenpeace UK has revealed that 29 percent of the UK's fishing quota is owned or controlled by just five families on the Sunday Times' Rich List. Will McCallum, head of oceans at Greenpeace UK, says: "Many of these companies were amongst those touting the opportunity to 'take back control' of our waters by leaving the EU. They're taking politicians and regular fishermen for a ride, because they know exactly who's in control. And the same politicians who slammed Europe for breaking Britain’s fishing sector are the ones restricting the majority of fishing quota to this handful of wealthy families. It’s a betrayal of Britain’s fishermen".
As Britain and the EU negotiate a Brexit deal, fishing rights are another sticking point which have so far left fishermen on both sides of the Channel in the dark, unable to plan for their futures.
Scott Wharton, a British fisherman, told FRANCE 24: "We’ve got no problem with foreign fishermen, the Belgians, French, Spanish. They’re trying to support their families, the same as us. It’s the policy-makers who need to put things right".
http://www.france24.com/en/reporters
There was also a piece on German TV along the same lines - using interviews with British fishermen.
