UK PM Keir Starmer claims EU trade deal benefits British fishing amid industry outrage

UK fishing federations have criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer over a “disastrous outcome” for the region’s fishing fleets after the EU and UK struck a 12-year deal yesterday on fishing access for EU boats. 

Starmer has rejected claims that he “sold out” Britain’s fishing communities for closer alignment with Brussels on other issues, saying the deal is about “bills, jobs, and borders.”

He told the BBC that annual negotiations with the EU would have created uncertainty and that, with 70% of the UK’s seafood going into the European market, the deal will be “good for fishing.”

Top EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, met with British counterparts in the first post-Brexit summit in London yesterday. There, they negotiated trade deals to improve the movement of agricultural supplies between the two territories.

Fishing was high on the agenda as the post-Brexit deal on fishing rights is set to expire in June 2026. The EU agreed to lower its fishing quota in UK waters by 25% gradually by 2026 as part of a 2020 deal.

However, the new 12-year agreement, backed by France and Denmark, retains the 25% fishing quota for EU boats and extends access to 2038. In return, the UK has landed reduced checks for food exports going into the EU.

Coastal community support or collapse?

A statement from the prime minister’s office notes that the UK will also back coastal communities by injecting £360 million (US$481 million) into the fishing industry to help them adopt new technology and equipment to modernize fleets and upskill workforces. The funds will also help revitalize coastal communities, support tourism, and improve seafood exports.

“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,” says Starmer.

London maintains that British businesses will benefit from the sanitary and phytosanitary or SPS agreement, which reduces costs and red tape to help exports.

However, industry associations, such as the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF), have criticized the UK government for securing a “horror show, far worse than Boris Johnson’s botched Brexit agreement.”

“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 to secure other objectives,” says Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive at SFF.

“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.”