There are far more EU boats in UK waters than vice versa, and the vessels are significantly larger on average, we can reveal.
The investigation by Facts4EU and GB News comes as Sir Keir Starmer faces accusations of “betraying our fishermen again” after it emerged the Prime Minister is poised to sign away Britain’s waters to the EU in exchange for a defence deal.
Europe’s fisheries are reportedly dangling the €150 billion-valued defence fund – a mega investment drive unveiled last month aimed at enabling countries to re-arm quicker – in exchange for a beefed-up post-Brexit trade agreement and greater access to Britain’s valuable fishing waters.
The deal, which could be finalised as soon as next month, has attracted the ire of staunch Brexiteers, with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg saying: “The EU ought to stop carping and pay us for defence while the Government must not flounder by betraying our fishermen again.”
EU boats have Britain over a barrel in terms of size, number and weight
Getty Images/Facts4EU
There is a wide disparity between the number of vessels licensed to fish in the other side’s waters
Facts4EU
Findings of the report
There is a wide disparity between the number of vessels licensed to fish in the other side’s waters, with 1,570 EU boats circling Britain’s coastline compared to Britain’s paltry 874. That’s an 81 per cent difference in terms of access (see chart above).
The total length of Brussels’ vessels also dwarfs those of Britain’s, coming in at a whopping 35,945 metres – that’s 141 per cent longer than Blighty’s boats, which run to 14,924 metres.
End-to-end, the EU’s ‘UK waters’ fleet stretches 2.4 times as long as the UK’s ‘EU waters’ fleet (see chart below).
End-to-end, the EU’s ‘UK waters’ fleet stretches 2.4 times as long as the UK’s ‘EU waters’ fleet
Facts4EU
Brussels’ boats are also heavier, weighing 2.6 times that of the UK fleet at 396,096 tonnes to the UK’s 151,486 tonnes (see chart below)
Brussels’ boats are heavier, weighing 2.6 times that of the UK fleet
Facts4EU
