Fisheries

Brexit was a huge opportunity to renew our fishing industry and revive our coastal communities. Yet, the government has not taken back control of our historic fishing grounds. Foreign vessels still plunder our waters and damage the sea bed. Major renegotiations of our fishing arrangements with the EU are essential in the run up to the 2026 review.

Coastal communities are blighted by crime, poverty and unemployment. Fishing ports such as Fleetwood, Grimsby, Hull, Lowestoft, Aberdeen are desperate for regeneration. Fishing offers a unique opportunity to achieve this. Every one job at sea creates 8 jobs on the land through processing and support industries. Reform UK will restore the UK’s fishing industry and heritage.

Critical reforms needed in the first 100 days:

 Stop EU Fishers Taking UK Quotas.

End automatic access to UK Waters. Every foreign fishing vessel must pay for a licence to gain access to the UK’s 12 nautical mile zone.

Expand the Royal Navy Overseas Patrol Squadron.

Police British territorial waters properly. Assess the possibility of creating a dedicated coast guard or fisheries protection agency.

Ban Foreign Supertrawlers from UK Waters.

Extend the ban on pair trawling for bass beyond the South East and 12-mile territorial waters.

Stop Foreign Owners Using a British flag of Convenience.

Require tax and provenance tests. Ban the trading of fishing quotas. Revisit the 1988 Merchant Shipping Act and strengthen ‘Economic Link’ principles. Reform the quota system to benefit small scale fishing.

Thereafter:

 Rebuild UK Fish Processing.

Tax and other incentives to ensure that all fish caught in British waters are landed and processed in the UK. Fish caught by foreign vessels in UK waters should also be landed and processed here when capacity allows.

Revitalise the UK’s Fishing Fleet.

Tax incentives and vocational training to increase UK fishing fleets. Include fishing communities in policy making.

Launch a Sovereign Wealth Style Coastal Fund.

Proceeds from foreign fishing licences must be reinvested in coastal communities.

Guarantee Sustainable Stocks.

Implement a ‘dynamic management system’. Work with national and regional partners such as the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.

Negotiate with Ireland on Rockall.

Establish a legal claim for EEZ. Secure territorial waters.