IN the Brexit negotiations, France is particularly concerned by the impact on its fishing communities and has taken a ‘maximalist’ position that the status quo should be protected.
If talks fail, it is France’s fault if they continue with the above stance. The only way that could happen is for the UK to rejoin the EU.
Britain has offered a three-year transition period for European fishing fleets to allow them to prepare for the post-Brexit changes. One diplomat in an EU coastal state is quoted as saying:
‘It is perfect, clear. We are not for a gradual withdrawal of quotas. We are for permanent quotas.’
Such utterances are nonsense and shows the EU’s disregard for international law.
When a coastal state joins the EU, the waters and living marine resource coming under that state’s jurisdiction becomes an EU resource and EU waters. The competency is handed to the EU and when the annual TAC (Total Allowable Catch) is recommended, the division is allocated to the EU in tonnage, and then sub-divided to the individual EU member states as EU quota, which allows so much to be taken out of what the British regard as UK waters, but in fact are EU waters.
On leaving the EU, and no longer being an EU member, the competency is returned to the UK, and when the TAC is recommended, an amount in tonnage is allocated to the UK in our own right. This has nothing to do with the EU and yet they, led by France, expect the UK to hand over on a permanent basis some of that tonnage to be taken out of UK waters.
This is unheard of anywhere in the world.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU has prepared a draft ‘letter of notice’ triggering action against the UK for breaking the WA.
That is a joke when you look into what the EU expect the UK to carry out on their behalf concerning fisheries.
