Britain risks becoming a '˜laughing stock' if it cannot police its fishing waters, former Navy chief warns

The UK risks becoming a 'laughing stock' post-Brexit because it has too few patrol vessels to police its fishing waters, the former head of the Royal Navy has warned.
Ministers have confirmed Britain will leave the London Fisheries ConventionMinisters have confirmed Britain will leave the London Fisheries Convention
Ministers have confirmed Britain will leave the London Fisheries Convention

Responding to news that Britain has begun the process of leaving the London Fisheries Convention (LFC) – seen by many as the next step in reclaiming control over UK fishing waters – Lord West accused the Government of “overwhelming complacency” in preparing for a future outside the EU.

His criticism came as the former Director of Fisheries at Defra, Rodney Anderson, told ministers they will need to “manage expectations” as the Brexit negotiations progresses.

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He warned that many Brexit supporters see fisheries policy as a benchmark for its success, but it could be several years before the Government can implement the kind of significant reforms they want to see.

Confirming Britain’s formal withdrawal from the LFC this afternoon, Defra Secretary Michael Gove described it as the “first step towards taking back control of our fishing waters”.

In his written statement, he said the Government was “committed to acting as a responsible coastal state” and to creating a new fisheries policy “that leads to a more competitive, profitable and sustainable industry”.

It follows months of campaigning by eurosceptic MPs and representatives of the industry, who see the 1964 Convention – which grants six European countries rights to fish between 6-12 miles off the UK coast – as inseparable from the wider issue of Brexit and the need to reclaim sovereignty over British waters.

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Reacting to the announcement, Pensions Minister and Leave supporter Penny Mordaunt welcomed the “massive opportunities” the decision presents for British fishing fleets “to thrive and expand”.

However, the Labour peer Lord West was less enthusiastic as he quizzed Defra Minister Lord Gardiner on the Government’s plans to “police and enforce” any new fishing regulations after Brexit.

Responding to the Minister’s claim that the Government will “review and reflect on the level of fisheries enforcement required” Lord West said he was “absolutely stunned” by the “amazing complacency” of UK officials.

“The bottom line is we have very, very few vessels involved in this [and] they are not properly centrally coordinated. We will be made a laughing stock if we apply some rules and cannot enforce them,” he said.

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“Will we now establish a centralised control system to control the various assets we have – far too few of them – to be able to focus on something like some fishing illegally? And will we also ensure that we build some more ships and boats to ensure we can actually enforce it?”

The LFC statement coincided with the launch of two new reports by the UK in a Changing Europe research group, looking at the challenges and opportunities it presents for fisheries, environment and agriculture.

The studies conclude that leaving the EU offers a “unique” chance to develop “ambitious, forward-looking” policies, but stresses that ongoing cooperation with the EU on fishing stocks and quotas will be “essential”.

Speaking at the event, Mr Anderson said the interest surrounding the Convention was an “illustration” of how crucial the fishing industry is to people’s perceptions of whether Brexit is a success.

He added that “a challenge for ministers at Defra will be managing expectations” because “we might not actually see much happening in two years”.