Should the UK reclaim exclusive control of fishing in its 12‑mile coastal zone?
In May 2025 the UK agreed to extend EU vessels' existing access to British waters, including parts of the 6-12 nautical mile zone, for a further 12 years until 2038. This maintains the post-Brexit status quo after the original Trade and Cooperation Agreement transition ended in June 2026. UK fishermen face competition from subsidised EU boats while struggling with high fuel costs and reduced quotas in some shared stocks.
4 Opinions
The sad reality is that over 70% of our crab and mackerel is exported fresh to the EU. The second you kick EU boats out of the 6 - 12 mile zone, Brussels slaps tariffs and veterinary red tape on seafood exports.
It was a bad deal that should, if possible, be renegotiated.
We should reclaim full control of our waters, fishing wise, who is entering it etc. The EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement is a disaster, benefitting EU mostly.
Johnson's agreement allowed us to renegotiate a more favourable deal this year. Starmer gave it away and threw our fleet under the bus for a staggering 12 years so he could suck up to the EU. All our politicians hate the fishing industry for some mysterious reason.