Legislation creating the powers which the United Kingdom needs to operate as an independent coastal state after its withdrawal from the European Union was presented to the British Parliament on Thursday 25 October. It would allow the country to regain its sovereignty over its waters.
The United Kingdom had already shown its hand in its July White Paper on fisheries, calling for the resumption of control of British waters and a 'fair' share of fishing opportunities (see EUROPE 12055).
“For the first time since 1973", the Fisheries Bill "will enable the United Kingdom to control who can fish in our waters and under what conditions", explains the UK Government's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The draft law gives the country the power to implement new agreements negotiated with the EU and other coastal states and to manage fisheries more effectively and sustainably in the future.
Access to waters and quotas. The bill fulfils the UK Government's commitment to sustainable fisheries in the '25-year environmental plan':
- access control: the country’s exit from the EU will put an end to the automatic right of EU vessels to fish in British waters. In the future, the United Kingdom "will have to negotiate access to fish resources in British waters and will decide on conditions”, with foreign vessels having to comply with British rules, the government says;
- setting fishing opportunities: the United Kingdom will be able to determine its own fishing quotas and the number of days at sea, which it will negotiate as an independent coastal state;
- protection of the marine environment: decisions on the management of fishing activities will be made strategically "for the benefit of the entire marine environment".
Not linking the market with access. The outcome of the negotiations on Brexit or the future economic partnership is not yet known, "but we have made it clear that market access for fisheries products must be considered as a separate issue from the issue of fishing opportunities and access to waters", warns London.
On the contrary, the EU wishes to link the subjects, in order to obtain European quotas in British waters, in exchange for access for British fishery products to the EU market.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the new bill will "create a sustainable and profitable fisheries sector for the whole of the United Kingdom". Through this legislation "we will regain control of our waters and, through better conservation measures, our precious marine environment will be able to prosper."
He reiterated that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has damaged "the British fishing industry and our valuable stocks".
Reform the rules. To ensure legal continuity, EU withdrawal legislation has transferred the rules of the CFP into British law. This bill allows the government to amend legislation to respond "quickly" to scientific advice and innovation and to ensure compliance with international obligations.
Finally, the law provides for the creation of new systems to help fishermen take advantage of the opportunities offered by Brexit: a new regime to help the fishing industry comply with the rules on mandatory landing (end of discards) and additional UK quotas.
Fishermen in the country voted 92% in 2016 in favour of Brexit in protest against EU quotas.
An opportunity not to be missed. The NGO Oceana reports that 4 out of 10 fish stocks in waters around the United Kingdom are still overexploited. "All eyes are on the United Kingdom to prove that it can better manage fishing activities”, says Lasse Gustavsson of Oceana. The United Kingdom could generate an additional £319 million and create 5100 new jobs if it created a sustainable fisheries policy. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)