Exclusive:Scottish fishermen's fears for a bad deal at UK-EU summit in London

EU and UK leaders are to meet in London to settle a deal.

Scottish fishermen are urging the UK Government not to renege on its trade and cooperation agreement with the EU when ministers meet on Monday.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be hosting a UK-EU summit in London on Monday where he will be hoping to broker a Brexit reset deal with EU chiefs, including Ursula von der Leyen.

However, the Scottish fishing industry says it is worried UK ministers will sign up to a multi-year deal on access to fishing waters and catch quotas, something they say could make things more difficult for the sector.

A fishing boat in the North Sea. | Owen Humphreys/Press Association

Under the trade agreement struck with the EU by former prime minister Boris Johnson back in 2020, the EU’s share of fish quotas in British waters was reduced by 25 per cent.

This deal is due to end in June 2026, and annual negotiations were to take place on fishing rights beyond this date.

However there are fears UK ministers will instead sign fishermen up to four or five year deals rather than allowing annual negotiations.

Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, told The Scotsman: “We’ve long argued that the EU must follow through on the trade and cooperation agreement that it signed in 2020 - that after 2026, access to waters becomes part of the annual negotiations on fisheries between the UK and EU.

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“Annual negotiations on access are the international norm, and the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation fully supports and favours this approach.

“The EU signed up to this, but with the clock now ticking and the prospect of their fleet being unable to catch their quotas on their own waters after 2026, they are reneging on their treaty obligations and insisting on another multi-year deal.

“If the UK Government is minded to capitulate to the EU’s demands on another multi-year deal on access for their fishing fleet, then they must extract a proportionate payment in commercially valuable fishing opportunities for our fleet in return, and the Scottish public overwhelmingly agrees.

“If EU member states want to keep benefitting from our rich fishing grounds, then that access must deliver clear and lasting benefits to Scotland’s industry.

Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation. | Scottish Fishermen's Federation

“It’s now up to policymakers to act accordingly.”

Tim Eagle MSP, the Scottish Conservatives’ fishing spokesman, added there needs to be annual negotiations so deals can be based on the latest scientific evidence available, and to make sure the UK gets a “really good share” within its own waters.

He said: “Getting good quotas on an annual negotiation is in our interest.”

Mr Eagle adds the UK Government should be listening to Scottish fishermen rather than signing up to a five-year deal.

A spokesperson for the UK Government said: “We have been clear that we will always act in the national interest to secure the best outcomes for the UK.

“No final agreement has been made.

“We are not providing a running commentary on our discussions with the EU, these are ongoing and cover a wide range of issues.”