UK EU fishing deal: 12-year agreement branded 'biggest act of betrayal' to Scottish fishermen

John Swinney has said the UK has “surrendered” its fishing industry in a new deal with the EU that the Scottish Government was not consulted upon and which has been branded a “horrorshow” by the sector.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa in London on Monday to announce a new Brexit deal, including improved trading rights for food, a security pact and a youth mobility scheme.

One of the final deals to be secured in the late-night negotiations was on fishing, extending EU fishing quotas in UK waters to 2038.

Sir Keir said: “It’s time to look forward. To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people.”

Trawler men unload their catch at Peterhead fish market, Scotland; there have been reports of imports of Scottish fish being turned back at Belfast port

“We’re ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people’s lives here at home.”

He said the deal “gives us unprecedented access to the EU market, the best of any country” outside of the bloc or the European Free Trade Association.

Sir Keir claimed it would result in “lower food prices at the checkout” by making trade with the EU cheaper and easier and would drive down energy bills by co-operating with Brussels.

UK officials say the deal brings no change to the current UK access to fish or change British or EU quotas, and therefore protects fishing communities.

In return the UK secured an agreement on food exports to the EU, and the government is expected to unveil a £260 million fishing and coastal growth fund.

The deal was welcomed by Salmon Scotland, which represents the UK’s biggest food export. The organisation said the agreement would reduce costly delays and red tape that have cost salmon export companies an estimated £3 million a year since Brexit.

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However, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, which had wanted to see annual negotiations agreed rather than a fixed multi-year deal, say any attempt to portray the deal as a continuation of existing arrangements “would be a lie”.

Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the federation, said: “This deal is a horrorshow for Scottish fishermen, far worse than Boris Johnson’s botched Brexit agreement.

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

“It is clear that Sir Keir Starmer made the whole deal on the backs of our fishermen and coastal communities, granting EU vessels 12 years of continuous access to UK waters at the last minute in order to secure other objectives.”

‘Giving away national asset for no discernible benefit’

She added: “At the weekend, Sir Keir said the deal would be measured against how much it would improve job prospects and allow our communities to flourish.

“Giving away a national asset such as our rich and healthy fishing grounds for no discernible benefit not only fails both of these tests, but is a disgrace that will ensure the enmity of this proud industry for many years to come.”

Mr Swinney said the fishing industry had been “negotiated away” by UK ministers, because it bore less impact on the economy of the rest of the UK compared to north of the Border.

Speaking on the Hamilton by-election campaign trail, the First Minister said the “fishing industry looks as if it’s been surrendered by the United Kingdom Government as part of its negotiations”.

Mr Swinney said it was “important to secure a better relationship with the European Union” because he said “Brexit has been a disaster for Scotland and the United Kingdom”.

He said “there will be elements of this deal that will be welcome”.

But Mr Swinney added: "It does appear that the Scottish fishing industry has once again been negotiated away by a Labour government and by a UK government demonstrating that Scotland is an after-thought.

“Fishing is a more significant industry for Scotland than it is for the rest of the UK. It’s becoming rather obvious that the industry has not attracted the degree of significance that we might have expected it to attract from a UK government."

Scottish Government not consulted

The SNP leader vented his frustration the Scottish Government “had no prior sight that this was to be the deal on offer”, adding: “We were not consulted about the fishing provisions, which I think demonstrates that the UK government is not engaging as seriously in intergovernmental relations as would expect it to do, nor was I promised by the Prime Minister.”

He said: “We’ve had several meetings at which fisheries issues were to be discussed, cancelled. In the last briefing that took place in preparation for this deal, fisheries were not raised with [External Affairs Secretary] Angus Robertson.

“If we’re going to have a promised, mature relationship between the United Kingdom government and the devolved governments, that’s what we’ve got to have and we’ve not had that yet.”

The First Minister said over recent months, there were “a number of examples where I have set out my growing frustration” at the attitude from Westminster, suggesting the promises of a reset in the relationship between Scotland’s two governments has simply been talk and no action.

He said: “The rhetoric of a resetting of relationships between the United Kingdom government and the Scottish Government is not really turning into a substance of reality of there being a better or more substantial relationship. We are not getting the openness that I would have thought we should be having, nor was I promised.”

Mr Swinney added: “The trade deal with the United States, we didn’t have as much line of sight as I think we should have on vital issues there. I have a growing sense of frustration about the fact the substance of relationships is not changing as much as I think it needs to be.”

Asked if the attitude of Labour ministers was on par with the frosty stand-off with the previous Conservative UK government, Mr Swinney said: “It’s not as bad as that.”

During the 2016 Brexit referendum, many fishermen had supported leaving the EU due to opposition to the union’s common fisheries policy and the impact it had on fishing quotas.

Read more: How UK immigration restrictions will make Scottish fishing's future 'difficult'

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 ends in June 2026 and initially the plan was for annual negotiations to take place on fishing rights beyond this date.

Fishing chiefs in Scotland had been calling on the UK Government to stick to the plan to have annual negotiations. However, this multi-year deal means this will no longer happen.

Mr Robertson said: “[The] UK government has agreed a fisheries [devolved] deal with [the] EU in principle, without any recourse, involvement or approval of devolved administrations.

“[The] Scottish Government received no documentation or draft proposals in advance. I asked UK ministers last week for this. Nothing received.”

He told The Scotsman the UK Government cancelled three inter-ministerial meetings on this issue, and cancelled a number of phone calls yesterday.

‘Starmer’s surrender’ and ‘act of betrayal’

The Scottish Conservatives have heavily criticised the deal for fishing, branding it a “surrender”.

Harriet Cross, the Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan, said: “Starmer’s surrender is one of the biggest acts of betrayal that our fishing industry has seen in Scotland.

Scottish Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan and farmer Harriet Cross led a debate in Westminster last week on the issue | Scottish Conservatives

“It’s absolutely shameful that the Labour UK government has capitulated to Brussels by agreeing a 12-year deal to hand over fishing access to EU boats in UK waters.

“Our fishermen have been used as a pawn by Keir Starmer, which will result in catastrophic consequences for our coastal communities.

“This is a complete abandonment of our fishing fleets, when the industry should be benefitting from the opportunities presented by leaving the EU and the common fisheries policy.”

Tim Eagle MSP, the party’s fishing spokesman, added the agreement is an "absolute disaster” for the industry, and said the Prime Minister has “totally capitulated” to the EU’s demands.

Tim Eagle MSP

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “This deal will mean Britain becoming a rule-taker, accepting dynamic alignment, giving up fishing rights and paying new money to the EU.”

She said it had been “an amateur negotiation from the start, ending in a total sellout”.

Reform UK’s Nigel Farage said the 12-year deal on access for European boats “will be the end of the fishing industry”.

Mr Farage’s deputy leader Richard Tice said: “Labour surrenders. Brussels bureaucrats win again.”

But business groups welcomed the deal, with the British Retail Consortium’s Helen Dickinson saying it “will help keep costs down”.

Confederation of British Industry chief executive Rain Newton-Smith said: “After the turbulence of the last decade, today’s summit marks a leap forward in the EU-UK relationship.”

And Salmon Scotland chief executive Tavish Scott said: “This breakthrough eases the burden on our farmers, processors and the communities they support, and we welcome efforts to implement it at pace.

“The withdrawal of physical checks is particularly welcome. It means lower costs and quicker deliveries for our customers.”