UK Edition
Royal Navy's ability to monitor coastal waters to be strengthened post-Brexit to protect UK fishing grounds from EU trawler 'armada'
The Royal Navy’s ability to monitor the nation’s coastal waters after the UK leaves the European Union will be strengthened in order to protect Britain’s returning fishing rights, a Brexit minister has signalled.
Tory MPs urged the Government to ensure the Royal Navy has the resources it needs to end the days of the “armada” of European trawlers “plundering” Britain's fishing grounds.
Steve Baker, a senior minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union, has confirmed the UK “will strengthen our surveillance capability” to enforce Britain’s rights after withdrawal.
He also said the Government will make sure the Royal Navy has the “appropriate capacity” that is required to “patrol our waters and enforce regulations as required”.
The job of patrolling the fishery limits of England, Wales and Northern Ireland is currently performed by the Fishery Protection Squadron - the Royal Navy’s oldest frontline squadron - which currently comprises of three River Class offshore patrol vessels in UK waters.
Regaining full control of Britain’s fishing grounds was a key issue during the EU referendum in 2016 and Theresa May has insisted that the UK will be leaving the Common Fisheries Policy and “regain control over our domestic fisheries management rules and access to our waters”.
However, the Prime Minister said in her Mansion House Brexit speech at the start of March that “we will want to continue to work together to manage shared stocks in a sustainable way and to agree reciprocal access to waters”.
Meanwhile, the EU said in its draft guidelines for negotiating a post-Brexit trade deal that fishing rights must be maintained as part of any free trade agreement.
Philip Hollobone, the Tory MP for Kettering, told Mr Baker in the House of Commons on Thursday that the Common Fisheries Policy was the “very worst aspect of our EU membership” and that “when we leave the European Union we leave the Common Fisheries Policy”.
He said: “On that day the armada of EU trawlers that have been plundering Britain’s historic fishing grounds since 1973 are not going to be happy that their best years are behind them.
“Will you ensure that the Royal Navy has the resources it needs to protect our sovereign waters and ensure the rebirth and renaissance of the British fishing industry?”
Mr Baker replied: “What I would say to you is we do hope to reach an agreement in our mutual interests but as the Prime Minister made clear in her Mansion House speech we are leaving the Common Fisheries Policy.
“We will regain control over our domestic fisheries management rules and access to our waters.
“In relation to enforcement we will strengthen our surveillance capability and make sure that the appropriate capacity is in place to patrol our waters and enforce regulations as required.
“This will be underpinned by a robust approach to risk-based assessments.”
Trawlers from the EU currently take 750,000 tons of fish from UK waters each year, with a processed value of around £4billion.
Bringing the fish back to British ports would have a profound effect on the economy of coastal communities, campaigners argue.