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Fishing: UKIP policy

Thursday, 27th March 2008

UKIP deplores the decision to sign over control of British fishing grounds - which contain nearly 70% of Europe's fish - to the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The CFP has driven the British fishing industry and many fish species to the edge of extinction while non-EU nations such as Norway benefit from a healthy fishing industry. Scroll to the bottom of the page to read or download the full Fishing policy.

UKIP is committed to:

Restoring British waters and fishing to national control by leaving the European Union Common Fisheries Policy

Abandoning all quotas and strictly forbidding ‘discards’

In co-operation with scientists and working fishermen, introducing technical measures and net design to be more selective, allowing immature fish and non-targeted species to escape

Requiring all commercial species fish caught, regardless of size or species, to be landed and recorded in order to compile meaningful figures to establish a Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) and to plan accordingly

Establishing Minimum Landing Sizes (MLS) for all commercial species and ensuring that only fish above the MLS are offered for sale. All undersized fish to be confiscated and processed into either fish meal or fertiliser, proceeds from the sale of which will go towards administrative costs

Establishing a system of moveable ‘No Take Zones’ seasonally to allow fish to spawn, or in areas considered to be overfished to allow recovery

Banning all forms of ‘industrial’ fishing and pair trawling for bass. Restricting beam trawling to areas considered suitable by working fishermen and scientists

Licensing foreign fishing boats with a proven record of fishing in the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone to continue for a transition period of, say, five years, provided they observe British rules. Licences would not be offered to foreign boats in receipt of EU subsidy and foreign boats would not be licensed to fish in UK territorial waters (12-mile limit). After the transition period, licences would only be issued to foreign boats if fish stocks exceeded of British boats’ catch capability in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

Building artificial reefs in appropriate locations

Repealing the Marine Act

Encouraging profitable mariculture (fish farms) and in particular shellfish farm ventures in suitable inshore waters

Establishing a Fisheries College and a Crew Training school and conducting properly structured training programmes

Taking advice from Norway and Iceland to establish a Fishing Ministry to oversee a Fishing Management Agency and co-ordinating the activities of the existing Sea Fisheries Committees (SFCs), that would become the ‘frontline’ of sustainable management of our fish stocks.

Strengthening the fishery protection service and providing adequate Naval ships to effect distant water patrols (minesweepers in a dual role).

You can download the full UKIP Fishing Policy here

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