'Horror show' trade deal for Scots fishing fleet
EU boats will have had their current level of access to key UK fishing grounds extended for a further 12 years.
Details of the trade pact struck between prime minister Sir Keir and EU counterparts emerged earlier today.
The UK Government has claimed it will protect British fishing access, rights and areas.
There is no increase in the amount of fish EU vessels can catch in UK waters, it said.
According to the government, this provides 'stability and certainty' for the sector.
But Scottish fishing chiefs are outraged by the package agreed with Brussels.
They see it as another blow to the Scottish sector after two-previous major let-downs.
The UK's controversial entry into the European Economic Community in 1973 ushered in the much-despised Common Fisheries Policy.
And the Brexit trade deal negotiated by former PM Boris Johnson was a big disappointment for the industry.
Mike Park, Stonehaven-based chief executive of the Scottish White Fish Producers' Association, said: 'It's an utter betrayal of the fishing industry for the third time.
'Whereas the (EU) exit deal was significantly worse than expected, the mechanisms through which the industry could renegotiate has now also been removed.'
Scottish Fishermen's Federation chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said: 'This deal is a horror show for Scottish fishermen, far worse than Boris Johnson's botched Brexit agreement.
''It is clear 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 secure other objectives.'
Ms Macdonald added: 'This highlights the total indifference of the British political establishment to the interests of our fishing sector, with Sir Keir becoming the third prime minister after Edward Heath and Johnson to betray the industry.
'Any attempt by either the UK or EU to portray the new deal as a continuation of existing arrangements would be a lie.
'The Trade and Co-operation Agreement (Brexit deal) paved the way for annual access negotiations from 2026.
'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.'
The government pledged to 'back coastal communities' by investing £360 million in new technology and equipment to modernise the UK fleet, training to help upskill the workforce, and funding to support tourism and boost seafood exports.
As part of the deal, new SPS measures will make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by slashing costs and red tape.
Sir Keir hailed the agreement as 'good for jobs, good for bills, and good for our borders'.
But Gordon and Buchan Conservative MP Harriet Cross branded it 'Starmer's surrender'.
She called it 'one of the biggest acts of betrayal that our fishing industry has seen in Scotland'.
Ms Cross added: '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 benefiting from the opportunities presented by leaving the EU and the Common Fisheries Policy.'
Meanwhile, Orkney and Shetland Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael called the deal 'deeply disappointing'.
He added: ' Fishermen were hoping for a reset after the incompetence of the previous Tory government in protecting fishing interests.
'Instead, it seems that the stench of Boris Johnson's bungled 2020 deal will linger over us for a generation.
'If there is a silver lining for fishermen it will be in easements for trade and stability for key export markets – but that is still far from the 'sea of opportunity' that was promised in the past.'
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