Britain's environment secretary Michael Gove has expressed disappointment at the Brexit transition deal's arrangements for fisheries.
However, he urged fellow Brexiteers to keep their “eyes on the prize” of leaving the European Union rather than embarrassing the government over the issue.
Britain agreed on Monday that it will remain within the EU’s common fisheries policy during the transition period and will be “consulted” on fishing quotas for 2019 and 2020. Brexiteers had wanted Britain to regain control of its fishing waters the day after it leaves the EU in March 2019.
“There is disappointment in fishing communities. I know, as someone whose father was a fish merchant, whose grandparents went to sea to fish, I completely understand how fishing communities feel about this situation at the moment. I share their disappointment,” Mr Gove told MPs.
“Our proposal to the EU was that during the implementation period we would sit alongside other coastal states as a third country and an equal partner in annual quota negotiations. And in making that case we did so after full consultation with representatives of the fisheries industries. We pressed hard during negotiations to secure this outcome and we are disappointed that the EU were not willing to move on this.”
The EU has agreed that Britain’s share of the European fishing quotas will not change in 2019 and both sides have promised to act in good faith after that. Mr Gove said that the promise to regain national control of Britain’s fishing waters had been delayed rather than abandoned.
It is critical that all of us . . . keep our eyes on that prize
“There is a significant prize at the end of the implementation period and it is important that all of us accept that the implementation period is a necessary step towards securing that prize,” he said. “It is critical that all of us, in the interest of our whole nation, keep our eyes on that prize.”
Apart from the fisheries agreement, the transition deal has received a broad welcome at Westminster. The DUP and Conservative Brexiteers were relieved that Britain made no major concessions on the future of the Border and continues to reject the EU draft text on the issue.
Jacob Rees-Mogg will join other Conservative MPs on Wednesday in a protest against the fisheries deal that will see them fling haddock from a boat into the Thames. Mr Rees-Mogg said on Tuesday, however, that the transition deal as a whole was “acceptable” as long as Britain really leaves the EU when it is over.
