Blimey - this is a quite the Quitters echo chamber in here isn’t it? Brexit is the stupidest thing a country has ever done to itself. As we’ll all soon find out.
....well as far as fish not many of them left in the channel ..mind you lobsters are having a field day some are so big that should ever pots be allow in the BC marine reserve they will always be empty … some are well into 2 foot something and weigh about 8lbs! WE WILL enjoy eating welsh lamb... scots lamb … and also quality beef … farms will become alive again …. might even drink home produced milk instead of French stuff!
I love fish and shellfish ! But the most perverse thing is that we sell 2/3rds or more of the fish we catch to Europe and elsewhere. Yet proper Fishmongers barely exist over here these days (Toveys in Stapleton Road went bust earlier this year) and supermarket fish isn't the same as freshly caught, especially since virtually all of them with the possible exception of Morrisons, had closed down their wet fish counters ages ago.
Looks like Boris has buckled. Its only Fishing that has to be agreed. Less than 30 seconds on the BBC lunchtime news. Boris wants the news buried during the Covid Tier announcement.
the EU now seeing their folly of challenging the resolve of the uk .. from nothing a thin narrow path is emerging both sides are protective of their ideals … fair do's … however the ideals of the EU is why we left .. so don't need them … EU now on damage limitation. the poorer countries, those that share or siphon off the endeavours of the big " 2"? now we have left will stay quiet as the money rolls in... the least benefitted will keep on paying in more! one or two will begin to weaken …. who will be next to vote to leave! …..
I am genuinely surprised that fishing is such a sticking point. It's a tiny contributor to our overall GDP, whilst the rest of the trade we currently do with the EU accounts for around half!!!
It's a sovereignty issue - nothing to do with the economics of the matter. Boris has nailed his arse to the mast over this one, though I can see him having to make some concessions over it if he really wants a deal.
it is to do with jobs and resources … the latter mostly! we have dozens of fish farms around our coast everything from mussels to Salmon.. we also have areas where the " agreed international coastal waters" starts and finish's .. there is an agreed fish quota set by EU …. TO ENABLE FISHERMEN TO REACH IT... they have to plunder our coastal waters... over past few decades Russian factory ships have all but wiped out herring and mackerel stocks! in BRITISH WATERS ….
Not true completely … it is to protect our fisheries and the jobs that go with it … since being in the EU our fishing industry has been decimated because coastal European fleets have had access to fish the same quota per boat as us … no fish no living
In economic terms, it's miniscule. In fact much of the UK "decimation" as you put it has been self imposed Many UK fishing fleets have sold their alloted fishing allocations to the EU fleets this past 20 years for hard cash. The problem is for those countries (mainly France, Spain and Holland) is that they would lose those fishing quotas if we immediately impose our rights over coastal limits.
It is miniscule less than £1bn pa why did they sell ? because EU dictated quotas and fishing stocks were diluted and some trawlers couldn't make it pay … so no way to sell to others in same boat as the quota was not on the fleet but the boat. so lose them immediately, so what we have left the EU ... EU WANTS US TO GIVE UP more than just a few boat loads of fish .. instantly! subtle blackmail … pay us tax on loads of things if you do not let our few fishermen have it their way!
The whole fishing thing is stuck on principles not economics. It's a political football for Macron in particular who wants re-election next time around. He's desperate to rope in the support of the large fishing based communities around the French coast - if he gives too much they'll vote him out. It's the same, but to a lesser extent over here. Boris would not be damaged nearly as much by relaxing his stance because the benefits of a deal in general far outweigh the concerns of the fishing lobby which is very minor in economic terms. That's not to say they should be sold down the river, but UK fishing revenue is as you say much less than the £1bn you mentioned, whereas the financial services sector alone contributes over £120bn per annum to the economy. Relaxing your stance for the greater benefit is a sensible approach even if it seems like your backing down - it's a matter of degree for the greater good that's important, not just principles. Boris can do it - Macron can't be seen to be doing it.
It HAS to be done. Sorry, but to me a few fishing boats aren't important enough to strangle the entire economy. Besides, if we DO back down then there would be enough in the coffers to compensate any of our fishermen who are disadvantaged. I can't give a flying fk about Macron or the French - I DO care about our own livelihoods and being able to balance the books at the end of the day. The EU - like them or loathe them - is a big marketplace to walk away from over fishing..
I can't stand Barnier or Macron, any of them really. Never trusted the EU as far back as the Common Market. I really hope we go no deal. I have faith, not in Boris or any of our leaders, but the British people. When push comes to shove I'll back GB over the EU. They're a pack of cards teetering on the brink.
The word much needs to be deleted the trading figure on net worth to the "economy" is circa £600m so worth a lot more than that in terms of real worth... it is not just x number of peeps putting to sea and returning with a few hundred stone of fish... bit like a car manufacturer .. employs 1000 people to make cars .. but to actually make the car to appear in a showroom takes over arbitrary figure 6000 people …… fishing not as grandiose but 2who supplies the nets /hooks /line etc the engine parts and stone trays rigging radio equipment provide servicing … then of course fish sold, transported stored ...ice makers etc etc etc … who benefits from all this?? HMRC in taxes over and above the fish sold! …. Calm down calm down … you care about our livelihoods but not a few fishermen! ….. money in coffers? to compensate... from where... having not to pay a tax on selling our fish to EU? well we would end up selling to the peeps the EU sell it to! we get to harvest a small amount of our fish stocks... why is there not enough fish in the "EU" seas for the EU FLEETS TO HARVEST ...because they have fished it out... why no fish farms? because they can just plunder our fish stocks... fish stock in british waters = 100 …. British French Portugese Spanish Dutch Danish & Belgians all fish it … so we get fish less than 15% of it … why don't we fish their waters.... ??? simple there isn't any fish to catch ! plenty fish in north atlantic but why go there when there british fish less than 50 - 100 miles away.
Sorry JGF - your argument about the "net" effect (excuse the pun) on the economy of this country regarding fisheries is grossly exaggerated, in fact in realistic terms when compared to other industries, it's garbage. How much does hook, line, net and ice making make for this country? There are far more jobs, livelyhoods and family dependencies on the demise and closure of the steel industry, vehicle production and general manufacturing for instance that blows the fisheries issues out of the water (forgive the pun again ). You are right that we should be concerned for those coastal communities affected by any decisions taken, but there is a huge argument in favour of diluting this country's demands in that area to ensure a comprehensive trade deal is done. Just how that is achieved will be political dynamite with shrieks of horror from those with a vested interest, but the common benefit should prevail.
Sorry you don't see the picture it is irrelevant to the argument what jobs steel, cars or any other industry loses when you look at the bigger picture you could say OK f *** the fishermen … next move on to milk or beef or mutton or lamb … all individual industries after all we get most of our milk from france … a large amount of cheese … dairy desserts for some supermarkets etc etc are from the EU … so lets run them down and get rid of … have wide open spaces for people to roam, very few farms and just live off what they want to give us and when...….really we are out of the common market / EU a time to become british again get agriculture back and running get fishing back and running stop having to bale out the vast majority of the scrounging majority of EU countries … British fish on a Friday English beef on a sunday Welsh lamb / mutton on a weds Scottish haggis on Thursday pay less tax revive the manufacturing industries … F *** the EU unelected …. Macron was elected because at the time the French were in chaos … no one to vote for … he talked the talk said what was wanted to be heard ….
