Former Brexit Party MEP Jane Mummery said it was “not just about money” but more Britain’s sovereignty as the UK warned Brussels time was running out to secure a deal with just five weeks to go before their current relationship ends. The owner and Founder of Renaissance of the East Anglian Fisheries (REAF) said Britain will have the “best sustainable land in the world’ after Brexit as the UK battles to reclaim control of its coastal waters.
She posted: “This is not just about money, this is about our sovereignty.
“Fishing is the UK’s most sustainable renewable resource. That GDP is everything to coastal communities.
“Our waters have been abused by the EU. The UK will have a sustainable industry, best in the world.”
It comes as Britain demanded EU chiefs bring “fresh thinking” to post-Brexit trade deal talks and concedes on fishing rights after it rejected Michel Barnier’s latest compromise on catch quotas.
Mr Barnier recently said the EU could accept a 15-18 percent cut in its share of fishing rights in UK waters, which was immediately rejected by British officials before it even landed in London.
Ms Mummery was replying to BBC’s economics editor Faisal Islam who posted in Twitter: “Interesting Sunday reads on fish negotiations – useful context on quantum here – talking about 700k tonnes of fish worth half a billion £ a year fished by eu27 in Uk EEZ.
READ MORE: EU ordered to rethink fishing plan as UK will ‘NEVER’ accept demands
But both sides are yet to find common ground on fishing quotas as the clock ticks down.
Talks have been deadlocked for months over the issues of fishing rights, the governance of any deal, and the “level playing field” conditions aimed at preventing unfair competition by cutting standards or increasing state subsidies.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament: “The European Union is well prepared for a no-deal-scenario, but of course we prefer to have an agreement.
“With very little time ahead of us, we will do all in our power to reach an agreement. We are ready to be creative.
“But we are not ready to put into question the integrity of our single market.”We need to establish robust mechanisms, ensuring that competition is and remains free and fair over time.
“In the discussions about state aid, we still have serious issues, for instance when it comes to enforcement.”
