Latest news with #ElspethMacdonald
Scotsman
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Fishing chiefs demand meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer over 'patronising' Brexit deal
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish fishing chiefs have written to the Prime Minister demanding he meet with them after securing a Brexit re-set deal that has been branded 'insulting and patronising'. Earlier this month Sir Keir Starmer signed a new deal with the European Union that allows EU boats continued access to UK waters until 2038. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Fishermen in Scotland are unhappy with the deal, as they wanted annual negotiations on fishing rights to be agreed rather locked into a fixed 12-year deal. Successive pledges have been made to ban the most damaging fishing methods from sensitive seabed areas to preserve important habitats and species, but nine years after Scotland's network of marine protected areas was first created, bottom-trawling and dredging are still allowed in more than half of the sites. Picture: Jeff| JeffThe existing fishing deal signed by former prime minister Boris Johnson had seen the UK regaining 25 per cent of its fishing quotas, but this deal was due to run out next year. The Scottish Fishermen's Federation now says the Prime Minister 'owes an explanation'. The organisation has demanded Sir Keir meet with skippers and crew in Scotland to hear first-hand what the industry needs. In her letter, Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the federation, said: 'It was both insulting and patronising to hear you and your ministers tell us this was a good deal for fishing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You told us, patronisingly, that we should welcome the stability of a 12-year agreement on access, that you know best for us. 'Yet we have spent months telling your ministers that stability in terms of access to waters is the worst possible position for the UK. 'It was the instability of the EU's access to UK waters from 2026 that was our trump card, and you have not only thrown it away, but ripped it up into tiny pieces before doing so. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Elspeth Macdonald, CEO of SFF 'Your reaction also showed a lack of understanding of the 2020 agreement and how international fisheries agreements work, as well as a misplaced lack of faith - that we don't share - in your negotiating teams to deliver better quota shares for the UK through annual negotiations.' In her letter, Ms Macdonald also accused the UK of being 'subservient' to the demands of the EU and said it was a 'terrible way to lead'. She said: 'At the very least, do us the decency of meeting with us to hear first-hand what we know we need to help our sector and not just what your advisers who know nothing of our proud industry tell you.' Tim Eagle MSP, the Scottish Conservatives' fishing spokesman, said: 'Keir Starmer should do the right thing and accept this invitation from the fishing industry. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'He has shamefully sold-out the sector but is still trying to desperately defend his disastrous deal. 'The Prime Minister will soon realise how wrong he is if he hears first-hand the fury from fishermen who have been betrayed by his government and are deeply alarmed about what their future looks like.' A spokeswoman for the UK government said: 'We have secured a deal that provides stability and protection for the British fishing industry with no increase to the quota that EU fishers are allowed to catch in British waters. 'The deal allows UK vessels' continued access to EU waters - worth £80 million per year to fishing communities.
Pembrokeshire Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Time-warp tavern in Cwm Gwaun named one of the best pubs in the UK
Local fleet 'locked out' as foreign trawlers retain access to Pembrokeshire coastline A NEW deal between the UK and the European Union has sparked anger among local fishermen after it emerged that EU vessels will retain access to British waters until 2038 — effectively freezing post-Brexit arrangements for another 12 years. The agreement, announced on Sunday (May 19), confirms that the status quo on fishing access will continue, with EU boats allowed to operate in UK waters on the same basis as before. This comes despite earlier promises that the UK would take full control of its waters from 2026 under Boris Johnson's post-Brexit deal. In return, the UK has secured a simplified export regime for food products, including a new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement allowing seafood producers to sell raw shellfish and processed goods like sausages into the EU without extensive checks. British holidaymakers will also benefit from greater access to e-passport gates in Europe. But in Pembrokeshire, where the local fleet has dwindled to just a handful of active fishing vessels — many of them small inshore boats registered under the 'M' designation for Milford Haven — the reaction has been grim. The Welsh Government's fisheries patrol vessel in Milford Marina (Pic: MHPA) 'A betrayal of Brexit promises' One local fisherman, who fishes for crab and lobster off the Pembrokeshire coast, told The Herald: 'We were told we'd get our waters back by 2026 — now we're being told to wait another 12 years. Most of us won't be here by then. It's a betrayal.' As locals well know, Milford Haven was once one of the busiest fishing ports in Britain, but today has only a modest local fleet, with most of the fish landed at the docks coming from Belgian or Spanish vessels operating under EU licences. These foreign boats often have greater range, capacity, and quota rights than local Welsh boats, leading to growing resentment. 'The EU trawlers come right up to the six-mile line and hoover up everything,' said another skipper, who asked not to be named. 'We get the scraps, and now we're being told to get used to it.' Wider backlash across the UK The reaction has been echoed across the British fishing industry. Elspeth Macdonald, Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, called the deal 'a horror show,' adding: 'It is far worse than Boris Johnson's botched Brexit agreement. The industry has been sold out once again.' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was even more blunt, saying: 'If true, that will be the end of the fishing industry.' Tim Eagle, Scottish Conservative spokesperson on fisheries, described the agreement as 'an absolute disaster,' accusing the Labour government of 'surrendering to Brussels.' Local economy gets a mixed deal The deal includes a new £360 million 'fishing and coastal growth fund' intended to support investment in new technology and equipment. But it remains unclear how much, if any, of that money will reach Milford Haven or the small-scale fleet that still operates from Pembrokeshire. Meanwhile, seafood processors and exporters in the region are cautiously welcoming the new SPS rules, which will make it easier to export shellfish and fish into EU markets. 'It's a relief,' said one processor based near the docks. 'We've had consignments held up or rejected because of paperwork since Brexit. Anything that makes it easier to sell to Europe is a good thing — but it doesn't solve the problem that we've barely got any local fish left.' The Herald understands that EU vessels currently land over half the fish processed through Milford Haven, with much of it shipped back to the continent. For many in the local industry, the port has shifted from being a home to Welsh fishing to a service hub for foreign fleets. British boats in Milford Haven (Image: MHPA) Welsh Government reaction awaited While the UK government has defended the deal as providing 'certainty and stability' to the fishing industry, opposition parties and coastal MPs have condemned it. The Conservatives have accused the Labour-led negotiating team of 'handing back sovereignty,' and Plaid Cymru has called for Wales to receive a guaranteed share of the coastal fund. Looking to the future The agreement effectively rules out any major changes to fishing access for another generation. With most of Milford Haven's remaining boats operating close to shore and relying on non-quota species like crab, lobster, and scallops, the prospects for growth appear limited. 'It's a managed decline,' said one long-time observer of the port. 'Unless there's serious investment in small boats, apprenticeships, and fairer quota allocations, we could lose what's left of our fleet before 2038 even arrives.' Picture caption: Fading fleet: Milford Haven was once home to one of the UK's largest fishing fleets. Today, only a handful of 'M' boats remain active, with most landings coming from foreign vessels (Pic: Milford Marina).
Pembrokeshire Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Milford fishermen fear for future as UK signs 12-year deal on EU access to UK waters
Local fleet 'locked out' as foreign trawlers retain access to Pembrokeshire coastline A NEW deal between the UK and the European Union has sparked anger among local fishermen after it emerged that EU vessels will retain access to British waters until 2038 — effectively freezing post-Brexit arrangements for another 12 years. The agreement, announced on Monday (May 19), confirms that the status quo on fishing access will continue, with EU boats allowed to operate in UK waters on the same basis as before. This comes despite earlier promises that the UK would take full control of its waters from 2026 under Boris Johnson's post-Brexit deal. In return, the UK has secured a simplified export regime for food products, including a new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement allowing seafood producers to sell raw shellfish and processed goods like sausages into the EU without extensive checks. British holidaymakers will also benefit from greater access to e-passport gates in Europe. But in Pembrokeshire, where the local fleet has dwindled to just a handful of active fishing vessels — many of them small inshore boats registered under the 'M' designation for Milford Haven — the reaction has been grim. The Welsh Government's fisheries patrol vessel in Milford Marina (Pic: MHPA) 'A betrayal of Brexit promises' One local fisherman, who fishes for crab and lobster off the Pembrokeshire coast, told The Herald: 'We were told we'd get our waters back by 2026 — now we're being told to wait another 12 years. Most of us won't be here by then. It's a betrayal.' As locals well know, Milford Haven was once one of the busiest fishing ports in Britain, but today has only a modest local fleet, with most of the fish landed at the docks coming from Belgian or Spanish vessels operating under EU licences. These foreign boats often have greater range, capacity, and quota rights than local Welsh boats, leading to growing resentment. 'The EU trawlers come right up to the six-mile line and hoover up everything,' said another skipper, who asked not to be named. 'We get the scraps, and now we're being told to get used to it.' Fishermen protesting in Milford Haven that Brexit was not working for them, back in April 2018 (Image: Herald) Wider backlash across the UK The reaction has been echoed across the British fishing industry. Elspeth Macdonald, Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, called the deal 'a horror show,' adding: 'It is far worse than Boris Johnson's botched Brexit agreement. The industry has been sold out once again.' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was even more blunt, saying: 'If true, that will be the end of the fishing industry.' Tim Eagle, Scottish Conservative spokesperson on fisheries, described the agreement as 'an absolute disaster,' accusing the Labour government of 'surrendering to Brussels.' Local economy gets a mixed deal The deal includes a new £360 million 'fishing and coastal growth fund' intended to support investment in new technology and equipment. But it remains unclear how much, if any, of that money will reach Milford Haven or the small-scale fleet that still operates from Pembrokeshire. Meanwhile, seafood processors and exporters in the region are cautiously welcoming the new SPS rules, which will make it easier to export shellfish and fish into EU markets. 'It's a relief,' said one processor based near the docks. 'We've had consignments held up or rejected because of paperwork since Brexit. Anything that makes it easier to sell to Europe is a good thing — but it doesn't solve the problem that we've barely got any local fish left.' The Herald understands that EU vessels currently land over half the fish processed through Milford Haven, with much of it shipped back to the continent. For many in the local industry, the port has shifted from being a home to Welsh fishing to a service hub for foreign fleets. British boats in Milford Haven (Image: MHPA) Welsh Government reaction awaited While the UK government has defended the deal as providing 'certainty and stability' to the fishing industry, opposition parties and coastal MPs have condemned it. The Conservatives have accused the Labour-led negotiating team of 'handing back sovereignty,' and Plaid Cymru has called for Wales to receive a guaranteed share of the coastal fund. Looking to the future The agreement effectively rules out any major changes to fishing access for another generation. With most of Milford Haven's remaining boats operating close to shore and relying on non-quota species like crab, lobster, and scallops, the prospects for growth appear limited. 'It's a managed decline,' said one long-time observer of the port. 'Unless there's serious investment in small boats, apprenticeships, and fairer quota allocations, we could lose what's left of our fleet before 2038 even arrives.' Picture caption: Fading fleet: Milford Haven was once home to one of the UK's largest fishing fleets. Today, only a handful of 'M' boats remain active, with most landings coming from foreign vessels (Pic: Milford Marina).
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
What does the new EU deal mean for Scotland?
The new EU deal has been described in Scotland as both a "betrayal" and "breakthrough", and will affect businesses in different ways. The harshest criticism has come from the commercial sea fishing industry which has reacted angrily to a 12-year extension of the initial post-Brexit fishing agreement. But the clearing away of red tape could also benefit exports for others in the what does the new deal mean for Scotland? Fishing The previous post-Brexit deal saw the UK regain 25% of fishing rights from the EU, but it also gave European boats continued access to UK was due to expire at the end of June 2026 but the new agreement will see that extended until the summer of Macdonald, who represents more than 400 fishing boats as chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, told BBC Scotland it was a "total capitulation to the EU".By agreeing to a multi-year deal, she argues, the UK has thrown away an important bargaining chip for future negotiations. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes described it as a "great betrayal" of Scotland's fishing the UK government claims the deal provides more certainty and stability going forward, and there will be no increase in the EU bureaucracy could benefit west coast creel fisherman who sell directly into Europe and benefit from measures to reduce hold-ups for goods that perish quickly. Shellfish from some UK waters, currently banned in the EU, can be exported again under the deal. In an effort to address concerns from the fishing sector, the UK government has also announced a £360m fishing and coastal growth fund to invest in new technology, equipment and support for coastal communities. Agriculture A new SPS agreement will make food and drink imports and exports between the UK and the EU easier. SPS stands for sanitary and phytosanitary, which refers to rules about animals and deal will align UK food safety and animal health standards with those of the EU, meaning most routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would reduce "red tape" for businesses and help cut lorry queues at the UK government said this could lead to lower food prices and more choice on supermarket deal also means that British farms will be able to sell sausages and burgers to the EU for the first time in five would also return Scottish seed potatoes, once an important export, to the EU market after they were banned in 2021 in the wake of Brexit. President of the National Farmers Union (NFU) in Scotland Andrew Connon told BBC Scotland's Lunchtime Live programme he was "cautiously optimistic".He said it would help the livestock sector, specifically beef and lamb producers, as well as the seed potato industry which had suffered in recent years."Since Brexit, there has been more restriction and more friction at borders with regards to exports," he said. "The likes of the seed potato industry has been massively impacted. So anything that can reduce that friction has to be welcomed."But Mr Connon also said it was important that standards were not relaxed and the border was kept safe so not to undermine British markets. Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said the deal was "very good news" for fish said the EU was the "most important market" for Scottish salmon, with France alone taking about £240m of it every Scott said the sector had faced "considerable" costs for administration to export salmon and delivery time had increased due to physical checks on added: "These measures could reduce the bureaucratic cost of the administration we currently face, at about £3m a year."It will also improve our delivery times to our customers all over Europe, which is very welcome given we're exporting a time-sensitive product directly from Scotland into the EU." Hospitality UK Hospitality has praised the deal as "positive news" for the executive Kate Nicholls said it would help to "further increase access to high-quality, affordable food and drink for business and consumers alike". She also welcomed the UK government's commitment to working on a youth mobility thought a new agreement on youth movement could increase the UK hospitality workforce after significant staff shortages in the wake of the Covid pandemic and Scottish Hospitality Group also welcomed the deal as importing products from the EU was a "big cost" for the Stephen Montgomery said the industry body would wait to read the whole document, however "what we do know is that this will not go far enough to the help already struggling hospitality businesses".He said businesses were still struggling with growing costs due to increased national insurance contributions and the "out of date" non-domestic rates policy. Defence The UK-EU deal also includes the announcement of a new security and defence prime minister said this would "pave the way for the UK defence industry to participate in the EU's proposed new £150bn Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund". That will be welcomed by UK defence firms such as BAE Systems and Babcock which have a significant presence in Scotland, particularly in naval UK government also said the deal would benefit British steel as it would be protected from new EU rules and restrictive tariffs through a bespoke agreement. Travel Scottish holidaymakers will soon be able to use more eGates in Europe, which the government says "will end the dreaded queues" at border Brexit, British travellers arriving at EU airports have mostly had to queue for manned desks to get their passports stamped, instead of using the automated part of the deal, "pet passports" will also be introduced for cats and dogs, so there will no longer be a need for animal health certificates on every UK and EU have also agreed to work together on a "youth experience scheme".This could mean young people, aged 18-30, might be able to travel and work freely within the European Union the government said the youth scheme would be "capped and time-limited" and would be similar to ones the UK already has with countries like Australia and New UK has also agreed to work towards re-joining the Erasmus+ scheme, which would make it easier and more affordable for students to study abroad in the EU.
The National
19-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Labour's Brexit reset is 'horror show for Scottish fishermen'
The UK Government has signed off a new deal with Brussels which, among other policies, grants EU fishing boats continued access to UK waters for the next 12 years. Britain's initial Brexit deal would have allowed the UK to completely deny access to EU fishing boats from 2026 – but this has now been ditched. Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said: 'This deal is a horror show for Scottish fishermen, 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 in order secure other objectives.' Elsewhere in the deal, unveiled on Monday morning, were commitments to allow Britons to use e-passport gates at the EU border, which ministers hope will remove one of the most visible effects of Brexit. READ MORE: SNP ministers hit out as Scotland 'given no information' on Labour's UK-EU deal Macdonald added: 'Any attempt by either the UK or EU to portray the new deal as a continuation of existing arrangements would be a lie, because in fact the Trade and Co-operation Agreement 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 Scottish Tories have echoed the criticisms made by the fishing industry, with MSP Tim Eagle (above) saying: 'This agreement is an absolute disaster for the Scottish fishing industry.' Meanwhile, the SNP said that the deal fell far short of re-joining the EU and External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson hit out at UK ministers' failure to consult the Scottish Government on fishing policy. Stephen Gethins, the party's Europe spokesperson, said: 'Returning to the EU and returning to the single market and customs union should have been at the very top of the agenda at this EU-UK summit. After almost a decade of damage and decline in broken Brexit Britain – there are no ifs, buts or maybe about this – there will never be a better deal than being back in the EU.'
