News: Powerful voices back call for trade remedy against Norway

27 July 2021

British fishermen shut out of Norwegian water after talks collapse

Britain must now impose a temporary trade remedy against Norway to give our fishermen a chance of earning a living and to restore balance to the economic relationship between the two countries. 

And this isn’t just the view of UK Fisheries – the chairs of the Parliamentary committees on both International Trade and the Environment have called on the Government to keep its promises to the fishing industry in a post-Brexit world. 

UK-Norway fisheries talks for 2021 collapsed in June when the Norwegians walked away from the table. Not only does this prevent the UK fleet from fishing in Norwegian waters for Arctic cod and haddock for the UK market – it also means Norwegian fishing boats are free to catch the self-same fish and export them to the UK market.

This double whammy means that most of the fish that used to be caught by British crews for our national dish and sold in fish & chip shops across the country will now be caught by Norwegians and Icelanders and exported to us. Our state-of-the-art trawler Kirkella is reduced to fishing for scraps off Svalbard. 

And all this because the UK refuses to flex its muscles as an independent coastal state. 

The Fisheries Producers’ Organisation (FPO) has called on the Government to impose a temporary remedial tariff on cod and haddock imports from Norway until such time as it restores the UK’s cod and haddock quotas in their waters, and has asked the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) to make a ruling on this basis. 

And powerful voices are being raised in support. Neil Parish, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee called on the government in a Westminster Hall debate to “apply a temporary trade remedy with Norway to try to get our boats access to their waters.” 

And Angus MacNeil, Chair of the International Trade Committee, read into the record a letter he had received from UK Fisheries supporting this position. 

Luke Pollard, Shadow Secretary of State for EFRA also gave the call his backing, pointing out that “the plight of the distant water fleet is often ignored. It is a sector of our economy that has been hugely betrayed. Those fishers are a living, breathing example of the betrayal that has been perpetrated against them.”

The Hansard record of the debate is available here

 

Images

The Kirkella Naming celebration lunch at the Cutty Sark Museum
The Fish Fryers free fish & chip event at Cutty Sark Gardens for 2,500 locals
The City of Hull Brass Band at Cutty Sark Gardens
Sir Barney White-Spunner, Chairman of the Advisory Board, UK Fisheries, at the Kirkella Naming celebration dinner at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Kirkella sailing upstream through Tower Bridge
Kirkella sailing downstream through Tower Bridge
HRH The Princess Royal with Graham Barney, Factory Manager, Kirkella
HRH The Princess Royal with Charlie Waddy, First Mate, on the bridge of Kirkella
HRH The Princess Royal unveiling a model of Kirkella presented by UK Fisheries to the National Maritime Museum
HRH The Princess Royal Naming Kirkella at Greenwich
HRH The Princess Royal meeting Stig Maersk, Musical Director, and players in the City of Hull Brass Band
HRH The Princess Royal making her address at the Kirkella Naming Ceremony in Greenwich
2,500 local people in Greenwich enjoying free Kirkella-caught cod & chips
HRH The Princess Royal naming Kirkella at Greenwich
Kirkella arriving in London in preparation for her official naming ceremony at Greenwich
Kirkella poster

Videos

Emma Hardy, Labour candidate for Hull West and Haltemprice
Kirkella Port 2
Kirkella Bow 2
Kirkella Birdseye 2
Kirkella Naming Ceremony and VIP Reception
Kirkella lunch party at Cutty Sark Museum
Kirkella Great British Fish & Chips event at Greenwich
Kirkella BBC News
Kirkella passing through Tower Bridge
HRH The Princess Royal naming Kirkella at Greenwich
Kirkella cutaway animation
Sir Barney White-Spunner, UK Fisheries Ltd, Interview
Jane Sandell, CEO UK Fisheries Ltd, Interview
Kirkella General Tour
Kirkella Factory Tour

Infographic

Great British Fish infographic