19-05-2025
I'm a fisherman. Starmer's sold me out
A fisherman whose livelihood could be jeopardised by Sir Keir Starmer's EU deal has accused the Prime Minister of 'robbery' and warned the 'sell-out' will see others in the industry hang up their wellies.
Tony Heinemann, 55, who has been fishing for decades, accused Sir Keir of using fishermen as 'pawns' in his negotiations and hammering another 'nail in the coffin' of the industry.
Fishermen arrived back to port on Monday morning to find Sir Keir had struck a late-night deal with the EU ahead of Monday's summit with Brussels chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.
There will be no change to current access to fish for coastal communities and no reduction in the British quota or increase in the quota the EU is allowed to catch, it is understood.
However, the deal means European vessels will enjoy the same post-Brexit access they have had until 2038, 12 years after the current arrangement expires.
It has prompted a backlash from the fishing industry, with senior figures describing it as a 'horror show' and warning that fishermen had been 'sacrificed on the altar of European access'.
Mr Heinemann, who first began fishing aged nine, spends up to 15 hours a day alone toiling on his seven-metre vessel Gloria Rose out of Portland, Dorset.
Regulations on pollock fishing meant he already had to move from Plymouth and he has described the new deal as a 'shocker' and the 'final nail in the coffin'.
'It's not that unexpected, not really, no. Unfortunately the fishermen are the pawns in anything to do with the EU,' he told The Telegraph. 'The EU make a lot of money off catching fish.'
Mr Heinemann said fishermen were never the priority and said the deal was akin to 'robbery', adding: 'The fishermen have the crappy end of the stick. It's been happening for years. We hoped things were going to change with Boris – he crapped on us from a great height.
'This is just another nail in the coffin. We have fisheries ministers visit and promise the Earth and deliver nothing – it's the same old story. The fishermen give their concerns, but we are only a small pawn.'
Credit: Reuters
Mr Heinemann, who sets off at 5am most days, added that Sir Keir did not care about the livelihoods of fishermen or communities.
'It's all to do with our great leader and what he gives away – he's not a fisherman and has no interest in the industry,' he said. 'I know from personal experience people have given up, it's getting harder and harder, for a small cottage industry. The EU have a lot of boats, they will be better equipped.'
He said the rules were effectively 'two-tier', with British fishermen obeying the rules while their French counterparts did not follow them.
'It's definitely a sell-out,' he added. 'What we wanted was our waters put out further so the EU couldn't fish as close as they used to, but no, it's remained the same so every year they come in and fish our waters.'
He added that concessions to the EU would mean fishing was putting livelihoods at risk.
'The longer the EU keep having access to our waters, the longer it's going to take for the fish stocks to start getting abundant. The UK have the most strict rules of all, so it's only a matter of time before it's time to hang up your wellies as there's not enough fish to sustain a living the whole year.'
Mr Heinemann's comments came as the Scottish Fishermen's Federation accused Sir Keir of turning his back on fishermen.
Elspeth Macdonald, its chief executive, 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 to secure other objectives.
'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 (Boris) Johnson to betray the industry.'
She added that 'giving away a national asset such as our rich and healthy fishing grounds for no discernible benefit' was a 'disgrace'.
Dale Rodmell, of the Eastern England Fish Producers' Organisation, which has a fleet of 21 vessels, said the UK was throwing away the benefits of being an island nation.
He said the deal after Brexit had already failed the industry and that the opportunities for fishermen from leaving the EU had been 'squandered', adding: 'The UK gave away the benefits of being an independent coastal state for very little in return. The UK could have got a lot more for that.'
Mr Rodmell said that rather than extending access for EU vessels, the UK could have adopted a tougher approach by returning to annual negotiations.
'It's all about what fishing opportunities the UK could have – we are an island nation,' he said. 'We were locked into the arrangement of the common fisheries policy with the EU. Brexit was an opportunity – it's a shame we have not capitalised. On the whole, people will be disappointed we've not seen any real benefits out of this deal.'
Jerry Percy, who recently closed the New Under Ten Fishermen's Association – which had represented 80 per cent of the small fleet – because of the challenges facing the industry, said the deal was a disappointment.
'I'm sure that fishermen will be incredibly disappointed but not surprised,' he said. 'Historically, we have always been screwed over by successive governments.
'There should have been regular renegotiations but it just fixes in stone the current unfair access to our waters. The amount of fishing in our water, which is already excessive, now seems to be fixed with no opportunity. If you look at the bigger picture, we were always at the mercy of the EU because they had all the cards.'
He said that there had been a 'failure of management over 30 years' by successive governments, which had their priorities wrong.
'When we had the original agreement, it was either fishing or the City. If you are a pure hard-nosed economist, people do tend to forget that we are a primary food producer,' he said.
'It's not just economics, it's about food production. This deal is not going to make it any easier, the devil will be in the detail, there may be some crumbs of comfort. It does appear fishermen have been sacrificed on the altar of European access.'
James Anderson, skipper of whitefish vessel Alison Kay and chairman of the Shetland Fishermen's Association, said: 'The fact is that we are sadly not like Iceland, or Norway, or a country that still recognises the value of protecting our own fishing fleet and fishing grounds. Normally, nations negotiate fishing access and quota transfers on an annual basis. Overnight, the EU has been allowed to renege on annual negotiations and instead enjoy a 12-year deal – with UK fishing crews forced to give up their grounds and fish stocks again in exchange for what?
'This, unfortunately, is how our industry – which has so much more to offer – has been treated by successive governments. Fishing communities such as Shetland will remain hopeful that, one day, the UK will find its feet as an independent coastal state and finally conduct ourselves as such – denying EU vessels access to our productive seas without first paying for the privilege.'
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