The NFFO condemns UK-EU fishing deal for surrendering UK waters control and risking fishing communities’ futures
The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) has issued a scathing critique of the latest UK-EU fisheries deal, describing it as a damaging step backwards that “drags UK fishing back into a past we thought had been left behind.”
The deal, concluded in hurried negotiations, commits the UK to allowing EU boats “to continue fishing freely in UK waters for the next 12 years,” effectively surrendering the vital right to control access that was promised from 2026. The NFFO states this move hands over “the single best tool we will ever have for improving the lives of fishermen and fishing communities” without securing anything meaningful in return.
This decision echoes the 1970s arrangement when the UK joined the EU, which “restricted the ability of British fishing boats to work in their own waters” and led to “a huge decline in the British fishing industry and the start of a long period of economic hardship in coastal communities.” Despite Brexit’s promise to restore UK sovereignty over waters, “very little immediate change” occurred due to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) allowing EU boats to fish up to the inshore line for an extended period.
The NFFO emphasises that other North Atlantic nations like Norway and Iceland use their national control over waters to negotiate annual quota agreements that benefit their fishermen — a power the UK has now relinquished. The federation bluntly states: “Instead of adding that vital card to our hand… we have given it to the other player and the UK fishing industry has received nothing of value in return.”
Addressing government claims highlighting support from the Scottish Salmon Association, the NFFO strongly rejects any conflation of wild fishing with aquaculture. “Fish farming has no more in common with wild capture fisheries than sheep farming does,” the statement notes, condemning commentators who “demonstrate only that their ignorance is matched by their arrogance.”
While the deal includes a £360 million fund for fishing and coastal communities, the NFFO warns that this pales compared to the “£450m-£500m of fish from UK waters” taken annually by European vessels. The fund’s proposed £30 million per year is “hardly an equal exchange,” and the federation expresses concern over whether it will survive future political cycles and government spending reviews.
The NFFO calls for full parliamentary scrutiny of the deal’s terms, reminding that “none of this can go through without legislation” and urging the government to “work more closely with fishermen and their representatives” to ensure the promised support reaches those who need it most.
Despite the setbacks, the federation expresses pride in the sector’s role: “We provide food, jobs, and the continuation of a long and honourable heritage,” a lifeline for “11,000 families depending on it” across the UK’s coastal communities.
The NFFO concludes with a sharp reminder to critics: “Those who have been so quick to dismiss and diminish us this week should perhaps reflect on that.”
Source: NFFO
