Commercial fishing and marketing of seafood if there’s no Brexit deal

Fish exports to the EU.

What the fishing, seafood and aquaculture industries need to do to prepare for rules and processes that will apply if the UK leaves the EU with no deal.

Contents

1. Rules for access to waters from 29 March 2019
2. UK waters
3. EU and third country waters
4. Quota allocations and fishing opportunities
5. North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) Convention Area
6. Regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs)
7. Access to ports
8. EU and third country vessels landing into UK ports
9. Import and export of fishery products
10. Exporting UK-caught fish and fishery products to the EU
11. Importing EU-caught fish and fishery products to the UK
12. Labelling and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products
13. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)
14. Eels and eel products

Rules for access to waters from 29 March 2019

When the UK leaves the EU, it will control and manage access to fish in UK waters, and be responsible for managing our:

• territorial waters (out to 12 nautical miles)
• Exclusive Economic Zone (out to 200 nautical miles or the median line with other states)

The UK will make sure that fisheries control and enforcement continue.

UK waters

There will be no change to your rights and responsibilities if you have a UK-registered vessel fishing in UK waters. You must continue to comply with the law and the conditions of your licence, including the economic link criteria.

Non-UK-registered vessels will no longer have automatic access to UK waters (subject to any existing agreements covering territorial waters).

EU and third country waters

There will be no automatic access for UK-registered vessels to fish in EU or third country waters (subject to any existing agreements covering territorial waters).

Quota allocations and fishing opportunities

If you’re a UK quota holder, the UK fisheries administrations will tell you what your allocation will be. They’ll aim to do this in March 2019.

The government will also confirm arrangements for:

• non-quota shellfish (scallops and edible/spider crabs)
• demersal species under the Western Waters effort regime.

There will be no automatic access for:

• the UK Fisheries Administrations to exchange fishing opportunities with EU member states
• for EU member states to exchange fishing opportunities with the UK

North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) Convention Area

You can prepare for the UK joining the NEAFC. For UK-registered vessels to continue fishing in the convention area, and landing into the EU, you must hold a current UK domestic licence. You’ll need this before you can apply for an international licence from the relevant fisheries authority.

Please contact your local fisheries authority office if you want further guidance on fishing internationally. You’ll also need to register with the NEAFC’s electronic Port State Control system and complete the Port State Control 1 forms.

Regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs)

The UK will join all relevant RFMOs as quickly as possible - it will no longer be a member of RFMOs through EU membership.

The joining process may take up to 6 months, so there may be a gap in our membership.

During this time, UK vessels may not be able to fish in international waters covered by RFMOs. We’ll keep fishermen informed of progress and what the outcome of a decision will mean in practice.

Access to ports

If you have a UK-registered vessel, you’ll no longer have an automatic right to land fish in any EU port. You’ll be allowed access to EU designated ports for:

• port services

• landings

• transhipment

• the use of market facilities (where vessels meet EU requirements on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing)

You must notify the relevant Fisheries Monitoring Centre of your intention to arrive into a designated port. You must notify vessel and catch related information.

You’ll be allowed access to EU designated ports and third country ports without first telling the port of your plan to visit in cases:

• of distress

• if there’s an unexpected event (force majeure)

 Your vessel may be inspected. This could include:

• a full document check

• inspection of the catch

• database checks (if you’ve supplied information electronically)

EU and third country vessels landing into UK ports

Non-UK vessels, including EU vessels, will need to follow the same rules that will apply to UK-registered vessels accessing an EU port. For example, they’ll need to give notice of their plans to land, except in cases of distress and unexpected events (force majeure).

EU vessels fishing in the NEAFC Convention Area and landing into the UK will need to complete a Port State Control 1 form.

Import and export of fishery products

You’ll need a catch certificate for importing or exporting most fish and fish products between the UK and EU.

You will not need a catch certificate for trade:

• in some aquaculture products
• freshwater fish
• some molluscs
• fish fry
• larvae

Use the detailed guidance to check when you’ll need a catch certificate and the rules for exemptions.

The rules on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing will not change.

Exporting UK-caught fish and fishery products to the EU

You’ll need a catch certificate with each consignment of fish or fishery products you export to the EU. It will be your responsibility as the exporter to complete a catch certificate.

If the consignment will be sourced from more than one UK vessel, you’ll need to complete a Multiple Vessel Schedule.

You’ll need to submit this along with the catch certificate.

Vessel owners or skippers making direct landings of UK vessels into EU ports will also need to issue a catch certificate.

You’ll need verification for the content of a catch certificate from the UK fisheries authority where the vessel is licensed. You will need this before submitting the content to the competent authority in the EU country of import. The UK fisheries authorities are:

• the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in England
• Marine Scotland
• the Department of Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland
• Welsh Government

The UK fisheries authorities are developing an IT system to deal with the increase in export catch certificates.

Importing EU-caught fish and fishery products to the UK

For EU imports, you’ll need a catch certificate for each:

• consignment
• direct landing of fish or fishery products .

The exporter will have to submit the certificate to the Port Health Authorities or relevant fisheries authority.

The certificate will need to be checked at least 3 working days before the estimated arrival time into the UK. This deadline could be adapted to take account of the type of fishery or distance from fishing ground to port.

Labelling and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products

The rules and standards for labelling and marketing in the EU and UK will stay the same. See the existing guidance on:

• fish sold for human consumption
• fish and aquaculture products

The roles of Producer Organisations will also stay the same.

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)

The UK government has guaranteed that all EMFF projects approved before 31 December 2020 will be fully funded.

Eels and eel products

Trade in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), within and outside the EU, will remain subject to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This means the UK will not be able to import or export European eel. Most of the eel (Anguilla japonica) consumed in the UK is imported from China and so the impact on consumers should be limited.

Published 10 January 2019

Brexit no deal? Fishing industry encouraged to get ready for EU catch certificates

Fishing industry encouraged to get ready for EU catch certificates in the event of a no deal.  Advice on preparing for the introduction of catch certificates part of contingency planning.

The fishing industry is being encouraged to start preparing their businesses for EU Exit to ensure they can continue to import and export fish and fish products, once the UK leaves the EU.

Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority. This has not changed. However, the Government must prepare for every eventuality, including a no deal scenario.

From 29 March 2019, in the event of a no deal, most fish and fish products will require a catch certificate for import or export between the UK and EU. This also applies to fishermen who land fish directly into EU ports.

Catch certificates prove that fish has been caught in line with established conservation and management measures. All non-EU countries are required to present catch certificates when trading with the EU.

Under the requirements, on leaving the EU:

• UK exporters will be required to obtain a validated catch certificate to accompany their exports of most fish or fish products into the EU (excluding some aquaculture products, freshwater fish, some molluscs, fish fry or larvae)
• Importers will have to submit an import catch certificate to the Port Health Authorities or relevant fisheries authority to be checked before the estimated arrival time into the UK;
• Exporters may also need to obtain supporting documents if the fish has been processed or stored in a country that’s not the flag state;
• A new IT system to process and issue export catch certificates, and other supporting documentation, is being developed to help streamline the process. Exporters will receive full instructions on how to register and use the new system before we leave the EU. Import catch certificates will continue to be processed through the current paper-based system.

In addition to documents required under IUU regulations, businesses will also need to follow additional steps to comply with health and customs regulations, in the event of a ‘no deal’ EU Exit.

To plan ahead for creating a catch certificate, businesses and individuals that export fish products to the EU will need to know the:

• species,
• vessel that caught it,
• date it was landed,
• weight of the consignment.

Fishermen and fishing businesses can stay up to date with the latest advice on importing and exporting after EU Exit on GOV.UK.

Reporters: Brexit, a sea of uncertainty for fishermen

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.

►► The scallop war: Fishermen feud as Brexit looms

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.

FISHERIES COUNCIL DECEMBER 2018 - BREXIT, EUROPE / COMMON FISHERIES POLICY, TACS AND QUOTAS

The NFFO tam have posted their collective thoughts on this year's AgriCouncil TAC meeting in Brussels.

The last Fisheries Council in which the UK will participate as an EU member state concluded in the early hours of 19th December. It was dominated by issues relating to chokes in mixed fisheries, particularly those for which zero catch advice had been given. As expected, whilst some progress was made at the Brussels meeting, many difficult issues remain to be resolved in the New Year and beyond.

Fears that the Commission and Austrian Presidency would be deaf to the UK’s arguments because of Brexit, proved to be unfounded. It was not necessary, therefore for the UK to insist on a declaration reserving its position on the Council’s outcomes in the event of a no-deal departure from the EU in March. Nevertheless, the Commission’s consistent emphasis on presentation over practical implementation, will undoubtedly make it more difficult to reduce choke risks during 2019. An overemphasis on optics and a lack of understanding, or care, about practical implementation has been the hallmark of the CFP for many years.

Against this background, the UK has insisted that TAC decisions on choke stocks, should be kept under close review as next year progresses, to prepare the ground for rapid intervention as the need arises.

Chokes and Zero Catch Advice

The scale and location of chokes in mixed fisheries are not easy to predict.

Where chokes can be foreseen with absolute certainty, is where the scientific advice is for zero catch of a particular species, or where a country has no quota allocation for that particular species. This is the case for five important stocks, including Celtic Sea cod, Irish Sea whiting, West of Scotland cod and whiting and Western Approaches plaice. The approach finally adopted is to set the TAC at a level below current catches, to partially cover unavoidable bycatches, and to make up the gap though encouragement for member state to engage in international swaps and additional selectivity/avoidance measures. Member states without quota (notably Spain and Netherlands) would have first call on the reserved bycatch quota by offering swaps of other desirable quotas. This complicated and untested arrangement will apply from 1st January, but the UK has laid down markers that the level of TAC and the swapping arrangements require early review. This fits with the NFFO’s call for contingency planning because of the uncharted territory we are moving into after 1st January.

Bass

Some progress but not enough, was made in allowing fishermen to keep unavoidable catches of bass, rather than discard them dead. Maintaining momentum towards rebuilding the stocks, rightly remains a priority but nevertheless an opportunity was missed, especially in relation to unavoidable bycatch in the trawl fisheries. Increased catch limits and removal of the 1% bycatch constraint will certainly be welcomed by vessels using fixed gill nets. The main problem remains with the Commission’s insistence on the retention of the 1% bycatch limit for vessels using trawl gears. This will ensure that unacceptable amounts of bass will again be discarded next year. Nevertheless, the increase to 400kgs per two months, even within the 1% bycatch percentage, is a step in the right direction. As expected, bass has not been included under the landing obligation, for rather arcane legal reasons.

The elimination of targeted bass fisheries, from 2016, along with a range of other measures, including an increase in minimum landing size, has led to a huge reduction in fishing pressure on bass. Resultant improvements in the biomass are reflected in this year’s scientific advice.

The measures for 2019 are:

Vessels using demersal trawls, for unavoidable by‑catches not

exceeding 400 kilogrammes per two months and 1% of the weight of the total catches of marine organisms on board caught by that vessel in any single day;

(b) using seines, for unavoidable by‑catches not exceeding 210 kilogrammes per month and 1% of the weight of the total catches of marine organisms on board caught by that vessel in any single day;
(c) using hooks and lines, not exceeding 5.5 tonnes per vessel per year;
(d) using fixed gillnets for unavoidable by‑catches not exceeding 1.4 tonnes per vessel per year

South East

Tony Delahunty, NFFO President and South East Committee Chairman

Mixed fortunes emerged from the Council for the South East. It is a hard blow to face a further 25% TAC reduction in Eastern Channel sole, against the background of deep cuts in previous years. On the other hand, the 10% increase in the TAC for skates and rays in area 7 will be welcome. Despite our efforts, it was not possible to secure an increase in the North Sea TAC, despite an abundance of thornback ray in the Thames and the limited number of alternative fishing opportunities. The high survival exemption for skates and rays means that over-quota catches of ray will be returned to the sea during 2019.

The relaxations in restrictions in the bass fishery will be welcome, although they fall far short of the balanced approach that should be in place at this stage in the recovery of the stock. More could and should have been done by the Council to reduce discards of bass caught as unavoidable bycatch, but despite the combined efforts of the UK France and Netherlands only limited progress was made.

Although Channel cod is not considered to be a choke risk in 2019, things can change very quickly with a fast growing, migratory species like cod. Given the UK’s ludicrously low share of the TAC, it will be important to be ready to intervene if signs appear that the fishery will be choked.

North Sea

Ned Clark, Chairman of the NFFO North East Committee

The main North Sea TACs were, as usual, agreed within the context of EU Norway annual negotiations. Although a proposed 47% cut in the TAC for was averted, the 33% cut which was adopted will make cod the limiting species in the mixed fisheries, increasing the choke risk from medium to acute.

Whiting also faced reductions both through a cut to the TAC but also through a de minimis deduction. The Commission’s calculations were challenged and reduced from 40% to 6%.

Major chokes in the flatfish fisheries were averted by the expedient of removing TAC status from dab and providing a (conditional and temporary) exemption for skates and rays and plaice.

By making a fetish of managing stocks at maximum sustainable yield, rather than using it as a helpful signpost of progress to high average yields, the environmental NGOs marginalised themselves from most of the debates at Council and contented themselves with sniping from the sidelines. Ministers, and even the Commission, accept that MSY goal must be balanced with other CFP objectives, as well as the exigencies of practical fisheries management, and much of the discussion within in the Council was about achieving exactly that balance. There is no question of ignoring the science. It is a question of using the very best available science to inform complex, difficult and multi-faceted management decisions.

Farne Deeps nephrops is a very valuable natural resource for the communities on the North East coast and the species is the main economic driver for the local fleets. It is a relief that the fishery has now stabilised after a dip in the biomass and remedial measures.

Paul Trebilcock, Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation

“Some Progress but Big Challenges Ahead for 2019”

Full implementation of the EU’s landing obligation from the 1 January 2019, meant that more than ever before it was vital that ministers delivered sustainable, workable and effective outcomes for South-West Fishermen.

The UK Government team led by Defra minister, Lord Gardiner in the absence of UK Fisheries Minister George Eustice, were well briefed and committed. There was a clear understanding of our priorities, the challenges, and potential implications for South-West fishermen.

The Council outcomes contained some important gains for the South-West, including significant improvements in quotas like Western hake (increased 28%), megrim sole (increased by 47%) and rollover quotas for pollack and saithe in area 7.

Celtic Sea Cod (ICES area 7e-k)

The principle that zero catch advice could not be compatible with the landing obligation was quickly conceded by the Commission. If followed literally, zero catch advice in mixed fisheries would result in vessels being immediately choked and have to cease fishing in the Celtic Sea early in the year.

Ultimately agreement was reached around a package including:

48% reduction from 2018 TAC, to a level below that which would meet by-catch landings in 2018 by South-West fishermen
A further 6% of the quota having to be made available for quota exchanges with member states that do not have a current quota allocation
Quota exchanges and further selectivity measures (both technical and area based) during the first part of 2019 as ways of addressing the concerns raised.
This complicated and unsatisfactory outcome presents a potentially massive challenge for South-West fishermen in the year ahead.

In view of the problems ahead, the UK has already called for a review of the 2019 TAC for Celtic Sea cod early in the new-year. The reviewed TAC should reflect the landing statistics in 2018 as applied within the ICES Celtic Sea mixed fisheries model. An upward revision would go some way to mitigating the very real choke risk.

Haddock 7b-k

A welcome increase of 20% was secured but is still likely to be a significant choke risk.

It was made clear from the outset that CFPO members have been and will continue to work with scientists on selectivity improvements and enhanced data collection but this multi-faceted problem will not be solved without a realistic level quota being available for South-West fishermen.

Sole 7e, 7hjk and 7fg

There were mixed outcomes for these important South-West flat fish quotas.

7e sole quota continues to improve with a 3% increase reflecting the health of this stock.

7hjk stock stability was reflected in a rollover of the 2018 quota.

There was less positive news on 7fg sole with the Commission’s original proposal of a 9% reduction in relation to the 2018 quota was agreed, despite clear arguments within the MSY framework to mitigate this reduction led by the Belgian delegation.

Plaice 7hjk

As with Celtic Sea cod, the principle that a zero quota advice was not compatible with the landing obligation was quickly conceded by the Commission. If it had been followed it would have resulted in vessels being immediately choked and have to cease fishing in ICES area 7hjk.

Ultimately, agreement was reached around a 15% reduction from 2018 TAC, to a level below that which would meet by-catch landings in 2018 by South-West fishermen.

This is further compounded by 6% of the quota having to be made available for quota exchanges with member states that do not have a current quota allocation.

The Commission pointed towards quota exchanges and developing further selectivity measures (both technical and area based) during the first part of 2019 as ways of addressing the concerns raised.

Ray 6/7

An increase of 5% on the 2018 quota was a reflection of stable catches experienced by fishermen and was welcomed.

The prohibition on landing common skate and restrictions on small-eyed ray landings remain in place and continue to be a frustration that once again was not addressed.

Bass

Some recognition of improving stock status was reflected in the final agreement:

However the final agreement did not take on board or reflect the strong and credible arguments put forward by the NFFO to alleviate the pointless discarding of dead bass in the ultra-mixed trawl fisheries in the South-west. The 1% by-catch provision that remains in place from 2018 will see a continuation of discarding of unavoidable dead by-catch of bass with little or no effect on mortality of bass in these fisheries.

This was a big disappointment but discussions have already begun with DEFRA on how to address this going forward both in terms of re-visiting this during 2019 and of course in the post Brexit era.

Irish Sea

Alan McCulla Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation

The EU’s December 2018 News Net was a historic occasion. Another step towards the EU’s goal of managing fish stocks to a level defined around the principle of Maximum Sustainable Yield. Negotiations in the context of the full implementation of the EU’s Landing Obligation or discard ban. Finally, BREXIT - and the last December Fisheries Council at which the United Kingdom delegation would play a full part.

ANIFPO/Sea Source has attended every one of the year end Councils since December 1993 - 26 in total. Whilst the memory bank doesn’t recall the detail of everyone one of them, the majority do register for the wrong reasons - a succession of decisions that have resulted in dramatic reductions in many of the quotas available to all British fishermen, including those from Northern Ireland fishermen in the Irish Sea. The list of negatives is too long to mention here; quota cuts further exacerbated by the Hague Preference and cod recovery closures to name a few.

The irony is not lost that since the BREXIT vote, cuts to the Irish Sea’s main whitefish species have stalled and at least to some small extent been reversed, a trend that continued at this week’s negotiations in Brussels.

Of course in advance of the meeting signals around some of the quota figures had been loud and clear. Industry representatives, like officials were eager to minimise the issues tabled at the Council to enable discussion to focus on the critical matter of the discard ban, which for the Irish Sea was focused on whiting and the potential this has to choke the targeted fishery for prawns.

As we leave Brussels and count down the days left to BREXIT one question is will we be back in Brussels this time next year? The answer, which of course remains subject to a deal, would seem to be yes. Given the politics around the subject seem to be changing almost on a daily basis, who knows what the next twelve months will bring? But assuming that there is a plan that sticks, then the UK will at least be consulted and have observer status at the Fisheries Council in December 2019. Any meaningful change should come in 2020, as we look forward to the end of the Implementation Period and the UK becoming an independent coastal state. As the only part of the United Kingdom with a land frontier with the EU, a frontier that extends seawards, our unique geographic location is set to present further complications ahead. From 1 January 2021 we should begin to see real changes, but who knows? No Deal, any deal - a week, even a day is a short time in politics.

As 2018 draws to an end, we have just seen the release of the Government’s consultation on future Immigration Policy. This will be one of the focuses of our attention in the New Year. After all, without crew there is no one to man our fishing vessels - the sea of opportunities that beckons post Brexit could be lost to many coastal communities. Welfare of all our crews be they local, European or non-EEA is paramount and to all of them, especially those who are working away from home this Christmas we wish them a Very Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year.

NFFO Chairman, Andrew Pascoe

This was my first exposure to the legendary all-night Fisheries Council. As a working fisherman, I was amazed by the intricacy of all the different elements of the final deal, but it seems to me that there is a huge gulf between the design and shaping of the rules in Brussels and where the impact the measures adopted are actually felt – in the wheelhouse and deck of fishing vessels. In particular, I cannot believe that anyone exposed to witnessing the waste of bass caught as an unavoidable bycatch being discarded week after week would allow this waste to continue.

The problem of choke risks generated by the landing obligation was a strand which ran through the Council from beginning to end. It is baffling to me that the CFP has got to this late stage in this flagship policy and is still patching together ad hoc solutions to how it will be implemented in practise.

I was hugely impressed by the Defra team, from Lord Gardiner, pushed into the hot seat at short notice, through to the committed and hard-working officials and scientists who supported him.

If we find ourselves in a transitional arrangement after March, we may find ourselves back in Brussels next December, but without a vote and without a seat at the table. That is a concern. Although this will only last for the 2020 fishing year, there are obvious dangers and it will be important to guard against them. By autumn 2020, we should be negotiating as an independent coastal state, with all that that profound legal change entails.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the Federation’s members, its friends and allies, the very best Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

The NFFO team in Brussels this year was:

Bill Brock SWFPO and South East

Ned Clark North East

Matthew Cox, Pelagic

Tony Delahunty, South East

Jim Evans, Wales

Judith Farrell, Pelagic

Andrew Locker, North Sea

Arnold Locker, North Sea

Alan McCulla, Northern Ireland

Linda McCall, Northern Ireland

Andrew Pascoe,NFFO Chairman and Cornwall

Jim Portus, South West

Chloe Rogers, North Sea and External Waters

Jane Sandell, North Sea and External Waters

Paul Trebilcock, Cornwall

Barrie Deas, Chief Executive

At the time of going to press, we are waiting for the definitive list of TACs and quota changes.

Further details from the NFFO website in due course:

Brexit sweetener? - financial boost for fishing from Gove.

The UK government will table an amendment to its Brexit fisheries bill which will aim to "enshrine its commitment to secure a fairer share of fishing opportunities" for UK fishermen, it has said.

The amendment would place a legal obligation on the secretary of state, when negotiating a fisheries agreement with the EU, to pursue a fairer share of fishing opportunities than the UK currently receives under the common fisheries policy (CFP).

This, the government said, would overhaul the current system where UK fishermen have received a "poor deal that is based on fishing patterns from the 1970s".

"On average between 2012 and 2016 other EU member states’ vessels landed in the region of 760,000 [metric tons] of fish (£540 million revenue) annually caught in UK waters; whereas UK vessels landed approximately 90,000t of fish (£110m revenue) caught in other member states’ waters per year in the same time period."

As well as strengthening the law, the UK environment secretary, Michael Gove, announced £37.2m of extra funding to boost the UK fishing industry during the Brexit "implementation period".

This is in addition to the existing European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) funding, which at €243m over seven years is broadly equivalent to £32m a year, it said.

The government and devolved administrations (Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales) have already committed to match the EMFF funding with around £60m, so the extra funding will support more projects and the sector will benefit by a total of £320m, the government said.

Gove has also committed that the government will put in place new, domestic, long-term arrangements to support the UK’s fishing industry from 2021, through the creation of four new schemes comparable to EMFF to deliver funding for each nation. The devolved administrations will lead on their own schemes.

"We are taking back control of our waters and will secure a fairer share of fishing opportunities for the whole of the UK fishing industry as we leave the EU. The amendment to the Fisheries Bill will give legal weight to this commitment," said Gove.

"New funding will boost the industry as we become an independent coastal state, preparing it to receive a greater share of future fishing opportunities. The new schemes will be introduced after EMFF has closed in 2020. Details of these will be set at the 2019 spending review."

In England, the scheme is designed to:

• support innovation -- in technologies to enhance economic growth, reduce environmental impact and improve fishing safety
• improve port infrastructure -- so more fish can be landed in UK ports, and help the sector take advantage of new export opportunities after exit
• boost coastal communities -- by providing benefits to areas that depend on a vibrant and profitable industry, and
• help the sector adjust -- to new arrangements on access and fishing opportunities by improving capacity and capability to exploit new export opportunities and markets.
• The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation welcomed the amendment to the bill, and the commitment of extra resources for the sector to aid the UK's transition to an independent coastal state and beyond.

"Particularly pleasing is the rejection of French president Emmanuel Macron's suggestion that existing shares of fish be maintained post-Brexit, and the establishment instead of a platform for annual negotiations to move towards much fairer shares."

The industry remains adamant that there must be no link between access to UK waters and trade with the EU, it said. Fears had been growing among the UK fishing sector, as it became clear the text of the fisheries bill left room for such a trade-off.

Brexit discussions in Newlyn make national TV on the final #FishyFriday in November.

Filming me filming you; Folk Films' Luke Pavey, who is currently making a BBC2 documentary on the fishing industry films ...

Click image for video report

John Maguire doing his first piece for BBC Breakfast's first of its Brexit reports from Newlyn this morning talking to harbourmaster Rob Parsons and Malcolm Bell from Visit Cornwall...

with gales hitting the south west earlier in the week FishyFriday's market saw only a handful of boxes of fish like these plaice

monk tails...

Dover sole...

and a few cod on the market from shortened trips by two beam trawlers...

out side the market the BBC's Breakfast show crew were busy sending the next of  their live reports from the quay...

this time interviewing the CFPO's very own Paul Trebilcock and...

A-level Politics students...

Click image for the video clip.

Harry Doyle, Caitlin Trevithick and John Stephens from nearby Penwith College...

crabbers like the Nimrod skippered by Ben Rowse were taking on stores ready to sail...

Click image for the video clip.

as John Maguire interviewed local farmer, Jeremy Hosking and fisheries campaigner, Deborah Cowley...

while the resident harbour turnstones were busy looking for breakfast scraps...

as the netter Ajax took on boxes and ice ready for her next trip...

further down the quay crew on the netter Govenek of Ladram were about to sail...

while the beam trawler Aaltje Adriaante had her deck gear greased up ready for the next trip...

work continues on rebuilding the Galilee...

as young Charles on the St Georges took time out from repairing her starboard side beam trawl chain mat to pose for the camera...

the Sapphire III was busy taking boxes back on board...

as the rest of the fleet prepared to sail once again...

after taking ice...

its not only fish the boats trawl up, sometimes the crabbers et lucky and a lost string of puts is picked up and returned ashore to be overhauled before going back to sea again...

the final phase of the market refurbishment is nearing completion...

as Jamie Roberts drives in...

 to pick up another tub of sardines...

from the Resolute...

the fish are brailed ashore...

400 kilos at a time...

and dropped in tubs filled with iced-water...

with sardines from the Serene undergoing the same process...

what with all the uncertainties of Brexit on top of all the frenetic activity of another day running England's busiest fishing port, harbourmaster Rob Parsons is in thoughtful mode this morning.