Fishing is an economic irrelevancy. However the sovereignty principle is important as any deal is poetentially infinite in length.
Imagine what a ban on foreign boats means. The UK does not currently have the boats or fishermen to fish our waters, nor do they have the processing plant. The EU may anyway close their market to UK fish.
The fish could be left swimming and procreating happily - environmentally sound but unlikely.
More likely we will sell quotas until it is clear that a thriving British fishing industry is investing in infrastructure and capability to actually catch the things, and has a market for the catch.
Frankly the loss to the UK of giving the EU access to UK waters for up to 20 years would be a trivial price to pay for an agreement providing ultimate control is retained.
So I come come to the following alternative conclusions:
- it is a negotiating ploy and will be sacrificed as a final concession for a deal
- it is a product of profound stupidity on the part of the government and negotiators
Frankly, it is not clear which is right!!
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