A minister risked the wrath of the fishing industry today as he claimed there is ‘no downside’ to the Brexit ‘reset’.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed mounted a robust defence of the package as he appeared before MPs, despite fury at the ‘disastrous’ terms.
He suggested Brussels had been putting ‘pressure’ on the UK to agree access rights that would have lasted ‘in perpetuity’ – amid claims the French orchestrated a last-minute ambush in talks.
Mr Reed said negotiators ‘held firm’ to limit the time to 12 years, even though that was far more than the four years Keir Starmer seemingly offered originally.
The comments contrast sharply with the industry’s dismay at what was branded a ‘raw deal’ and an ‘absolute disaster’.
The head of Britain’s biggest fishing body has accused the government of allowing a ‘deeply disappointing’ giveaway of rights with nothing in return.
Under the terms of Boris Johnson’s 2020 Brexit deal, the EU gave up 25 per cent of its fishing quotas – phased up to 2026.
Steve Reed said negotiators ‘held firm’ to limit the time to 12 years, even though that was far more than the four years Keir Starmer seemingly offered originally
Sir Keir unveiled his Brext ‘reset’ alongside a clearly delighted Ursula von der Leyen yesterday
Under the terms of Boris Johnson’s 2020 Brexit deal, the EU gave up 25 per cent of its fishing quotas in UK waters – phased through to 2026
From next year there were due to be annual negotiations, which the UK fishing industry hoped would provide leverage to restore its hold.
However, quotas will now by frozen until at least 2038. The text of the trade treaty are also being rewritten so any attempt by the Tories or Reform to reverse the move would allow the EU to impose sweeping reprisals.
Giving evidence to the Environment Committee this morning, Mr Reed said: ‘I think this is a reasonably good deal for the UK fishing sector. Compared to what some of the speculation was, and indeed some of the pressures on our negotiating team, the EU was interested in more quota, more access to EU territorial waters.
‘They were looking for a deal on fishing in perpetuity, and they were trying to achieve that by making what I felt was a spurious link between fishing and an SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) deal.’
He added: ‘Our negotiating team held absolutely firm and as a result of that, we have a deal for 12 years, which if you compare to what the fishing sector has had for the last few years, we’re rolling over the best of the years that the fishing sector has had under the previous government’s deal.
‘So it’s better than every single year under the current arrangements until the final year, until 2026, and then that is rolled forward for 12 years.
‘So no loss at all of quota or our own access into territorial waters but there are further benefits as well because the UK fishing sector exports 70% of our catch into Europe.
‘That has now become much easier, much simpler, much less costly so they can export more of our British fish across the border, less of it is likely to rot at the border.’
Mr Reed added: ‘There is no downside to this for fishers. There’s a big upside in what they can export.’
There are claims that Emmanuel Macron orchestrated a last-minute ambush in talks on fishing rights
