Hull vessel Kirkella, Yorkshire's last distant water trawler, scuppered after Government walks away from talks with Norway

Yorkshire’s last distant-water fishery has been scuppered after the Government ended talks with Norway on Thursday without a deal in what has been described as a “very black day for Britain”.
Concern is growing over the future of Kirkella, pictured moored in Hull Picture: UK Fisheries Ltd/PA WireConcern is growing over the future of Kirkella, pictured moored in Hull Picture: UK Fisheries Ltd/PA Wire
Concern is growing over the future of Kirkella, pictured moored in Hull Picture: UK Fisheries Ltd/PA Wire

The failure to land a deal allowing the UK to fish in Norwegian sub-Arctic waters means the crew of the £52m Kirkella, which lands into Hull, has no work.

UK Fisheries CEO Jane Sandell said they had been promised a “sea of opportunity, not the scuppering of an entire industry.”

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She said: “George Eustice owes our crews and the Humberside region an explanation as to why the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was unable even to maintain the rights we have had to fish in Norwegian waters for decades, never mind land the boasts of a ‘Brexit Bonus’, which has turned to disaster.

Ricky Campbell, deckhand, who has worked for three years on the Kirkella Picture: Jonathan GawthorpeRicky Campbell, deckhand, who has worked for three years on the Kirkella Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe
Ricky Campbell, deckhand, who has worked for three years on the Kirkella Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

“In consequence, there will be no British-caught Arctic cod sold through chippies for our national dish – it will all be imported from the Norwegians, who will continue to sell their fish products to the UK tariff-free while we are excluded from these waters.

"Quite simply, this is a disgrace and a national embarrassment.”

The firm’s board will now meet to decide what presence it can have in Hull with no viable fishing opportunities in its traditional grounds.

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As well as around 100 direct jobs, hundreds more were employed in the supply chain.

MP Karl Turner said it was an “incredibly sad” day, adding: “For years the industry have been warning that separate deals would need to be negotiated, but here we are in 2021 with the Kirkella tied up in Hull's King George dock in East Hull.

"Brexit was supposed to be the fishing industry's salvation, yet Hull is having hundreds of jobs and millions in investment left high and dry."

Defra claimed the Government had put forward a “very reasonable and balanced” offer, which included access to UK waters and the exchange of fishing quotas.

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A spokesperson said: “We have always been clear that we will only strike agreements if they are balanced and in the interests of the UK fishing industry

“We put forward a fair offer on access to UK waters and the exchange of fishing quotas, but we have concluded that our positions remain too far apart to reach an agreement this year.

“Norway is a key partner and we will continue to work with them over the course of the year.”

Kirkella catches about eight per cent of all the fish sold in the UK’s fish and chip shops.

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UK Fisheries is a British company that is a joint venture between an Icelandic and Dutch firm - a joint venture between an Icelandic and Dutch firm. It is registered in the UK and pays all its taxes here.

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