The Scottish fishing industry has voiced serious concerns about the potential implications of the proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, warning that the deal could risk drawing the UK back into elements of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
In a letter to EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) warned that recent discussions indicated the SPS Agreement may extend beyond sanitary and phytosanitary matters to include technical barriers to trade, significantly widening its potential scope.
SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said that, while reassurances had previously been given that the UK would not be drawn back into the CFP, recent comments by Cabinet ministers had heightened industry concerns about the possible weakening of regulatory autonomy.
Having already endured substantial concessions under the UK-EU fisheries settlement – including continued EU fleet access to UK waters until 2038 – the industry would be “appalled” to find itself once again subject to EU fisheries governance, she said.
“One of the key benefits of Brexit for the fishing sector has been the restoration of the UK’s regulatory autonomy – the ability to determine fisheries management and conservation measures within its own waters.
“This autonomy must not be compromised through sectoral policy alignment or broader trade negotiations.”
The concerns arise in the context of wider dissatisfaction within the sector following the outcome of the UK-EU Summit, which confirmed continued EU fleet access to the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) until 2038.
According to the Federation, the £360 million UK Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund announced alongside that agreement represents only limited compensation when set against estimated losses. The SFF’s conservative assessment indicates EU fleets could take fish worth approximately £6 billion from UK waters over the 12-year period.
The Federation has also reiterated its concern that distribution of the Fund under the Barnett Formula would result in Scotland – which accounts for approximately 60-70% of the UK fishing industry depending on the metric used – receiving only around 8% of the funding.
In light of the ongoing negotiations, the Scottish fishing industry is seeking explicit confirmation from Government that:
- The SPS Agreement will not extend into fisheries management or policy control;
- The UK will not be drawn, directly or indirectly, back into any aspect of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy;
- The UK’s regulatory autonomy over its own waters will be preserved.