BORIS ACCUSED OF 'STABBING UK FISHERMEN IN BACK' WITH INDUSTRY 'JUST ABOUT FINISHED'

Boris Johnson has come under furious attack after being accused of "betraying and stabbing UK fishermen in the back", with the industry exploding over the hated Brexit deal with the European Union. The former Prime Minister had promised the fishing industry the UK would "take back control" of its waters before signing a trade deal with the European Union in December 2020. The fishing agreement between the two sides stated there would be a a five-year transition period that would see EU boats continue to gain some access to UK waters until 2026.

When the deal was signed, Mr Johnson admitted some concessions had been made in talks with the EU, but insisted for the first time since 1973, the UK would have "full control" of its waters.

However June Mummery, the former MEP for East of England and founder of Renaissance of the East Anglian Fisheries, has lashed out at that pledge, launching a furious attack against the former Prime Minister and the Conservative Party Government.

She told Express.co.uk: "UK fishermen have been betrayed and stabbed in the back.

"This is a double whammy - fishermen feel stabbed in the back but coastal communities also feel stabbed in the back because they have waited over 40 years to take back that fish as resource.

"At the eleventh hour, Boris has given the EU our fishing waters. He cannot deny or get out of that."

Ms Mummery claimed many UK fishermen are now "skint and on the bones of their backsides" following the Brexit deal that have been left with.

The former MEP accused Mr Johnson of "stealing the opportunities and aspirations" of some of the UK;s biggest fishing towns, adding: "He lied to us all."

She continued: "UK fishermen now find themselves skint and on the bones of their backsides.

READ MORE: Ajax armoured vehicle branded 'an obsolete disaster'

"We had the Covid pandemic and the hospitality sector shut down Who on earth would invest in fishing in this country?

Boris gave Emmanuel Macron 70 more fishing licences last year, free of charge. A fishing licence for a young lad leaving school is around £100,000.

"You have fishing towns like Grimsby, Hull, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and Hartlepool, but Boris has literally stolen all of their opportunities and aspirations. He lied to us all.

When asked what her message to the UK Government would be, Ms Mummery lashed out: "They have betrayed coastal towns, villages and communities.

"You stabbed fishermen in the back and what the hell are you going to do about it? The industry is just about finished."

Shortly after the trade deal with the EU was signed at the end of 2020, then-Prime Minister Mr Johnson admitted concessions were made to Brussels but insisted for the first time since 1973, the UK would have "full control" of its waters.

He said at the time: "The EU began with I think wanting a transition period of 14 years, we wanted three years, we've ended up at five years.

"That was a reasonable transition period and I can assure great fish fanatics in this country that we will as a result of this deal be able to catch and eat quite prodigious quantities of extra fish.

"For the first time since 1973 we will be an independent coastal state with full control of our waters with the UK's share of fish in our waters rising substantially from roughly half today to closer to two thirds in five-and-a-half years' time.

"After that, there is no theoretical limits beyond those placed by science or conservation on the quantity of our own fish that we can fish in our waters."

2023-03-25T21:12:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd