With the United Kingdom officially leaving the European Union, a lot of industries are going to be affected. One of the industries that have been hit the hardest is the fishing industry. For years, UK fishermen have had to comply with EU fishing quotas, which have often led to disputes between the two sides. However, with Brexit, the UK now has the opportunity to take back control of its waters and establish its own fishing agreement.

Brexit has granted the UK exclusive rights over a 200 nautical mile area of water around its coastline, known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Before Brexit, the UK shared this area with other EU member states, but now it is solely theirs to govern. This means that the UK can allocate fishing quotas and licenses to its own vessels, as well as those of other countries.

Fisheries are one of the most complex and contentious issues that have to be resolved between the UK and the EU. The UK fishing industry accounts for just a small fraction of its GDP, but it has become one of the most politically sensitive areas. A large number of fishing communities in the UK, particularly in Scotland, voted in favour of Brexit, with the hope of recouping more of the catch value for themselves.

The UK government has stated that it wants to “take back control” of its waters and strike a fair deal with the EU, which will allow UK fisherman to have access to EU markets and vice versa. However, negotiations have not been easy, and talks are currently deadlocked over issues of access and quotas. The UK wants to reduce the access that EU vessels have to British waters, while the EU wants to maintain the current level of access, which means a quota system for shared catch.

There is also uncertainty surrounding the regulation of the industry once the UK leaves the EU. The EU has strict rules on conservation and environmental protection, which the UK will need to adopt to maintain access to EU markets. The UK government has stated that it will continue to adhere to global conservation agreements, but there is no clarity on how this will be enforced.

In conclusion, the fishing agreement post-Brexit is going to be a contentious and complex issue. The UK will need to strike a balance between protecting its own waters and establishing a fair system for EU access and quotas. Additionally, the industry will need to comply with strict conservation regulations to maintain access to EU markets. The negotiations are ongoing, and it is unclear what the final agreement will look like, but the impact on the UK fishing industry is likely to be significant.