It’s not difficult to catch the present British government in a lie. Here is one to add to the list. It concerns one of my pet subjects – fisheries. Anyone with an intolerance to fish politics should leave here. 1/8

Last week the UK government suggested that an “historic” fishing agreement with Norway was a model for the “annual” agreements that it wishes to impose on EU fleets post-Brexit. It wasn’t. The opposite is true. It was closer to the kind of deal that Brussels is seeking. 2/8

In the http://D.Tel  on 30 Sept, ag/fish minister George Eustice boasted that the UK-Norway Fisheries deal meant "negotiating access to waters and fishing opportunities annually.” This is a cod - misleading to the point of being mendacious. 3/8 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/09/30/uk-norway-deal-signals-bright-future-british-fishing-fleet/

The UK-Norway agreement is based on EU-Norway agreements going back to 1979-81. The share-out of catches between Norwegian and EU boats is fixed. The actual tonnages are fixed annually after scientific advice. 4/8

This is the kind of deal – similar to the EU fisheries policy – which member states have instructed the Commission’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, to seek in “future relationship” talks with Britain. Annual talks would happen – but based on permanent shares. 5/8

The UK government, enthusiastically supported by the main British fishermen’s groups, have refused any such deal. They insist that the EU must ask Britain each year how much fish its boats can catch in UK waters after 1 January next year. 6/8.

Yes, the new UK-Norway deal does talk about “annual conversations” to agree access and quotas… But this would be like the yearly EU-Norway – and intra-EU - talks to fix actual tonnages after scientific advice or to agree fish “swaps”. 7/8

In other words, despite the grossly misleading claims by Eustice, abetted by equally crass comments by UK fishermen’s leaders, Britain has agreed just the kind of long-term deal with Norway which it is refusing for the EU. A cod indeed.
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