'Unfair and unbalanced!' Fisheries MP DESTROYS EU demand for UNCHANGED access to UK waters
A FISHERIES minister has blasted the demands put in place by the EU for access to British waters - saying that British fisherman can no longer take the "unfair and unbalanced" quotas.
Fisheries minister: EU fishing policy is 'unfair and unbalanced'
George Eustice, a DEFRA minister, has shot down hopes from Brussels of gaining "unchanged" access to British waters, claiming that British fishermen will always come first post-Brexit.
In a defence of British fishing communities, Mr Eustice told the BBC's Pienaar Politics that Britain has suffered for too long under EU rule.
He said that Brexit created the possibility of the British Government to correct the quotas, which have been blamed for decimating the UK fisheries industry.
This week the President of the European Council Donald Tusk said “reciprocal access to fishing waters and resources should be maintained” in the latest bid to use Britain’s waters post-Brexit.
However, Mr Eustice fired back in his interview this morning, saying: "We have been clear - when we leave the EU we become an independent coastal state.
"We manage our own exclusive economic zone - 200 miles out from shore. At the moment, we don’t get a fair deal or a fair share of the quotas.
"The EU has access to 750,000 tons of fish in UK waters, while the UK has access to around 100,000 tons of fish in EU waters.
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That balance is unfair and unbalanced
"We need to depart from the current quotas shares.
"It does not mean that there will be no access to the EU, but our relationship needs to be rebalanced.
"We need a fairer deal for our fishermen.
"In any fisheries negotiation that takes place every year, you do grant some access for reciprocal to their waters.
"But, it is a question of degrees however, and currently that balance is unfair and unbalanced."