Scottish Fishermen’s Federation says EU deal is ‘disastrous’

Scottish fisherman have accused Sir Keir Starmer’s government of “capitulating” to the EU over a deal on access to UK waters.

Labour ministers have agreed a 12-year deal on access for EU boats in exchange for reduced checks on food exports.

The agreement, which also includes a defence and security pact, has been described as “disastrous” by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF).

Scottish Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson has also accused the UK government of failing to consult with devolved nations.

The existing post-Brexit deal on fishing rights, which gave EU boats continuous access to UK waters, was due to expire at the end of June 2026.

The new agreement will see that extended until the summer of 2038.

It is understood the deal does not include any change to current access to fish for coastal communities.

There is not expected to be a reduction in the British quota or an increase in the quota the EU is allowed to catch.

But SFF chief executive Elspeth MacDonald said the agreement would end any “leverage” the country had on future negotiations and accused the EU of “reneging” on the previous deal signed in 2020.

She said Sir Keir was the “third prime minister to trade away [our] fishing industry”.

Mrs MacDonald told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “This is not a roll over, it’s a total capitulation to the EU and a disastrous outcome for the Scottish fishing fleet.

“The EU have clearly reneged on a deal that they signed up to in 2020 and have said that they require to have another multi-year deal.

“But in doing so the UK loses all its negotiating capital and all its leverage, so the EU continues to take a far bigger share of the resources in our waters than they are in entitled to.

“We’ve always been in this position where fishing seems to be the expendable price for something else that the UK wants.”

Posting on X, Scotland’s Constitution Secretary claimed the UK government had “agreed a fisheries (devolved) deal with EU in principle, without any recourse, involvement or approval” of devolved governments.

Angus Robertson wrote: “Scottish government received no documentation or draft proposals in advance. I asked UK minister last week for this. Nothing received.”

About 4,000 people are employed in Scotland’s commercial sea fishing industry, according to a Scottish government report published in 2023.

In 2022, it brought £335m into the Scottish economy, more than half of which came from Aberdeenshire, including the UK’s largest fishing port at Peterhead.

Overall, fishing accounts for about 0.4% of the UK’s GDP.

Scottish Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan, Harriet Cross, described the deal as a “surrender” and “one of the biggest acts of betrayal that our fishing industry has seen in Scotland.”

She said: “Our fishermen have been used as a pawn by Keir Starmer, which will result in catastrophic consequences for our coastal communities.

“This is a complete abandonment of our fishing fleets, when the industry should be benefiting from the opportunities presented by leaving the EU and the common fisheries policy.”

The UK government has been asked to comment.