Britain's fishermen 'sold out' by Labour as EU vessels harvest stocks

Britain’s fishermen are calling EU-stock harvesting a “sell-out” by Labour, arguing that foreign vessels take too much while UK coastal communities carry the cost. A think tank, the ASI, says Britain’s waters are “systematically overfished” and that EU fleets unfairly benefit from UK conservation efforts, leaving small-scale operators with the hardest work and weakest returns. The report proposes granting individual fishermen permanent catch shares in perpetuity, with rights that could be freely traded, sold, or leased in a domestic market. It argues this would be the first time small-scale fishermen receive permanent rights to the stocks they fish. John Cooper, a Conservative MP, pointed to New Zealand’s similar approach as an example of improved sustainability and employment security. However, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations chief Mike Cohen opposed making quota fully tradable, warning it could favor deeper-pocket buyers.