“When we leave the EU, the UK will become an independent coastal state under international law, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with jurisdiction over our territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) – out to 200 nautical miles or the median line between us and neighbouring states”, said a Tory Party Spokesman. So, our fishermen were finally to have exclusive access to our traditional fishing grounds after the Tory, Edward Heath, had agreed previously to donate them to the European Economic Community under their newly minted ‘Common Fisheries Policy’ in exchange for the right to join their exclusive club.

Well, no. Once again, our fishermen were sold down the river by the Tory Party under Boris Johnson in order to ‘Get Brexit Done’ i.e. sell out to the EU in order to get a trade agreement with them as quickly as possible.

On Monday 16th of October this year, the Spanish-owned, French-flagged trawler, the Antonio Maria deliberately endangered the Scottish trawler, the Defiant, 18 nautical miles East of Unst in the Shetland Islands, by steaming dangerously close past the vessel while trying to foul its propeller with a line thrown over its stern.

When the Isles MP, Alistair Carmichael raised the issue with the Tory government, he was answered by Mark Spencer MP, the Minister of State for Farming Fisheries and Food (in England and Wales) who replied, “It was a deliberate act to try and sabotage a UK fishing boat, it was outrageous behaviour, as he identified it is difficult to enforce because this is a Spanish boat under a French flag, but I will most certainly raise it with my ministerial colleagues given the seriousness of the event.”



This was not a fishing matter and did not take place in our territorial waters which only extend to 12 nautical miles, it was one of safety at sea which is the responsibility of the UK Department of Transport but in relation to British flagged vessels only, not those of other nations.

The Tory Party may claim to wish to preserve our union with Scotland but by giving the EU access to Scottish fishing grounds within our EEZ, they have jeopardised our relations with the Scots by their having to tolerate the outrageous behaviour of EU fishing vessels in their waters which are a vital source of both employment and income.

John Gartside

UK Independence Party Spokesman for Fishing