In 1988 when we were in the EU, we were obliged by Denmark under the auspices of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to agree a common fishing area with the Faroe Islands.

When we left, we dutifully rolled over this Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This has proven more beneficial to the Faroese than the British, particularly the Shetland Islanders whose fishing grounds are most proximate.

The Faroese being a canny people have also negotiated a fishing agreement with Russia whereby the Faroese would have access to the Barents Sea and a plentiful supply of cod in exchange for access to their fishing grounds. Unremarkably, early in the Summer, Russian factory ships were sighted in our sector of the common fishing area.

Meanwhile back in England, we are buying supplies of Russian cod. Does this mean we haven’t enough fish in our Exclusive Economic Zone now that we have left the CAP? Absolutely not, we have seas teeming with fish including cod but unfortunately the Tory party have decided that our fishermen should not have enough quota to service our needs whilst foreign fishermen are invited in to take our fish without any supervision of their activities.

Furthermore, with the Tories ongoing conflict with Russia, our fishermen are further hammered by the failure of the Tories to compensate them as well as our farmers for the extortionate costs of diesel which they are now facing partly as a consequence of the Tories’ foreign policy decisions.

Under the Tories, the future of our indigenous fishing industry is grim. In Denmark the Fishermen and Farmers have combined in their protests at governmental ‘green’ policies.

What will it take for the Tories to wake up and see the damage they are causing to our primary producers by their policies?

John Gartside

UK Independence Party – Spokesman for Fishing