‘We should have been involved in Brexit talks, it’s our waters’
THE ISLAND is watching and waiting as Brexit talks are said to be on a knife edge, with fishing among the key issues unresolved.
Boris Johnson and the European Union’s president are preparing their domestic audiences for either a landmark accord requiring compromise or a breakdown that will disrupt cross-Channel trade.
Barry Paint, the president of the Guernsey Fishermen’s Association, said it was a critical and worrying time.
‘We’re just being left in the dark, nobody seems to know what the outcome will be.
‘I’m watching very, very closely daily and speaking to different people.
‘The decision is not being made by us, and we should have been involved in the negotiations because it’s our waters.
‘All our government can do is press the House of Lords and the House of Commons and speak to the other nations that are fishing here.’
The old Common Fisheries Policy is due to be blown apart by Brexit at the end of this month, and the UK wants a new agreement based on the understanding that ‘British fishing grounds are first and foremost for British boats’.
Guernsey has found itself in the middle of a disagreement which was not of its making, and there are fears the island could become a bargaining chip to placate the French.
Mr Paint, a former deputy, strongly disputed any suggestion that fishing was only a small part of the local economy.
‘There’s 138 licensed fishing boats, some of them are only single-man boats but some of them are two or three or the larger potters are more.
‘And it’s not only the fishermen, there are also the boat repairers, the engine repairers, the fishmongers, there are many trades connected with fishing, it’s not just a few people it’s a huge range of people.’
Along with the economic clout, Mr Paint said the local fishing industry punched far above its weight in cultural and emotional power.
‘As far as I know Guernsey has had a fishing industry from the 1500s onwards, and perhaps even earlier.
‘In the 1500s there was a conger fishery here where conger was salted and dried and sent to the then-known world, so it’s a very ancient industry.’
If Mr Paint had his way, foreign vessels would, at some time in the future, be barred from the first 12 miles of Guernsey waters.
‘I don’t think we can do it straightaway, I think the problem is that the French boats in particular have fished here for generations, so you can’t stop everything in one day on 31 December, but I think you could come to an agreement that over a period of time they’d reduce the amount of fishing.’
As the clock ticks and the deadline approaches, Deputy Peter Ferbrache, the president of the Policy & Resources, said the lobbying continues.
‘We are in constant dialogue with the UK negotiation team to represent the Bailiwick’s interests as the EU negotiations reach the final stages.
‘The States of Guernsey are well prepared to deal with the result, whatever the outcome.
‘Any arrangement agreed for the islands will only deal with the trade in goods and fisheries matters and any offer must be relevant, proportionate and practical for our economic needs.’
