Spain left dependent on Scotland after overfishing
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Spain is now relying on Scotland for fishing stock as Scotland’s isles host the perfect environment full of minerals for shellfish to inhabit. While the row over fishing rules after Brexit rages, a new documentary showed Spanish fishermen have been facing struggle due to overfishing in their waters, thus becoming reliant on Scottish waters. Remainers predicted England leaving the EU would collapse the UK’s fishing industry but it has been recently announced by the Government that Brixham Fish Market reached 35.8million in revenue.
In the BBC documentary Maorach – Hebridean Shellfish, Scottish fisherman Aonghas Caimbeul said: “I wouldn’t say there’s a big market in Britain or in Scotland for velvet crab.
“It’s mostly people in Spain that eat it.
“They had enough velvet on their shores as I saw the stuff that was being landed in Northern Spain.
“But they over-fished those grounds, they took all the velvet out, that’s why they started coming to us.”
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Scores of Spanish and French vessels swarmed Scottish waters at the start of the pandemic seeking to “capitalise” on local boats forced to scale back their operations.
Mike Park, Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA), told Express.co.uk last year: “Over time what we have seen is a polarisation of non-UK vessels moving north into Scottish seas.
“There are a number of reasons for that but the predominant reason for French line and gillnet vessels moving north is there is a parasite entity in the flesh of the fish further south and that reduces the price.
“So what we have seen is the movement of these vessels further north into Scottish waters.”
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Despite the UK’s economic growth from the fishing industry on UK shores, former Brexit Party MEP June Mummery expressed her frustration over the deal Boris Johnson’s Government struck with other EU nations over fishing.
Ms Mummery said: “If we had taken back control of our waters the UK would have the most sustainable fishing industry in the world.
“EU takes 80 percent of the fish in British waters.
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Ms Mummery added: “1700 EU vessels plundering, eight of which supertrawlers.”
She also made claims that European fishermen have been taking over half of the fish from UK shores, Ms Mummery claimed up to 80 percent went to other countries.
She criticised ex-Brexit Minister Lord David Frost for a poor EU fishing trade deal.
In January 2021 Britain made a deal with the EU on fishing quotas for EU fishermen who fish on British territory.
Ms Mummery added: “The deal for fishing is diabolical. Even after four more years of the transitional period, we will still be tied to tariffs, aviation, and energy.
“Mr Frost you and your team have failed. You have stolen our seaside towns’ opportunities and aspirations.”
Virginia Cincinnatus, the EU Commissioner for Fisheries took to Twitter to comment on the EU trade deal with the UK.
Taking to Twitter to speak on the matter, the EU Commissioner for Fisheries Virginia Cincinnatus said: “We have an agreement with Great Britain on fishing opportunities until 2022.
“Covers all fisheries regions managed together in Anglo-European waters and is based on the best available scientific information.”
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