Roads & Kingdoms: Shifting Current

The number of active Scottish fishermen has halved in the past half century, and the industry blames the European Union and ideals of free movement of labor and capital. Accordingly, “while 60 percent of Scotland’s population voted ‘Remain’ in last year’s Brexit referendum, more than 90 percent of its fishermen did the opposite,” reports Matthew Bremner. The EU treats the North Sea, like all waters within its territory, as a common resource. Scottish fishermen posit that foreign vessels are “stealing fish” from waters they consider rightfully theirs as well as employing cheap foreign labor which undercuts their profitability. Leaving the EU, however, may cause more problems. Continental Europe, particularly Spain and France, is the largest consumer of British seafood and high tariffs could slash demand. Furthermore, the UK would have to negotiate new catch quotas with non-EU countries like Iceland and Norway. Spain leads in tons of fish landed in the EU. UK and France follow with about half as many tons caught by Spain. – YaleGlobal

Roads & Kingdoms: Shifting Current

Strongly pro-Brexit Scottish fishermen may be in for turbulent times when the UK severs ties with its largest consumer of seafood – the EU
Matthew Bremner
Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Read the article.

Read about EU fishing statistics.

Matthew Bremner is a writer from Scotland. His work has appeared in The Financial Times, The BBC, Slate, VICE and The Daily Beast. He lives in Spain.                     

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