Brexit: Fishermen criticise Boris Johnsons unfair deal

The Brexit deal will see the EU handing back 25 percent of its share of the catch in UK waters over a transition period last five-and-a-half years, after which both sides will hold annual negotiations on some 100 shared stocks from 2026. But Sean O'Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermens Organisation (KFO), the largest fishermen's representative body in Ireland, warned the deal between the UK and EU demonstrated the duplicitous nature of the protracted negotiations and that the repeated guarantees made to Irish fishermen had effectively been broken. He warned the agreements spanning four-and-a-half years since the Brexit referendum had been dishonoured by the negotiators

Scallop skippers Seamus Molloy and Will Bates from Kilmore Qua and fish 12 miles off the French coast, warned Ireland must start taking back, given that it will represent some 12 per cent of EU waters but with 30 per cent of fishable waters.

Mr Molloy told Irish maritime website Afloat.ie: "The French - we all know they are militant enough and seem to get what they want all the time - they have kept open from the six-mile to the 12-mile limit, but I don't know why it is not open to us.

"I imagine when England said they were claiming back some of their sovereignty, when they got to the 12-mile limit, they would have been happy enough to leave quotas everywhere else.

"We have seen Macron intervene with Barnier and whatever happened between the two of them, this wasn't on the table.

"The Irish seem to have been sacrificed across the board - we seem to have lost a large part of our mackerel quota and prawn quota."

Mr Molloy added: "We're waiting for confirmation but when you read it, I think we're in trouble.

"Down to the numbers alone with France, we have given up a massive amount of our mackerel quota and prawn quota.

"When you look at the English Channel, the whole sector is sectioned off and when you divide up the English Channel in half, some of these sectors cross between the French sector and the English sector so if they turn around and stick a limit on us, they will actually do the same for French waters as well.

This would be double hit for us.

"We have had unfettered access to English waters day one. We have our own system here where we are limited but because our fleet is so small, we have enough access.

"This is something we have always had and I don't see why we should lose it now."

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8.50am update: Nigel Farage rages over post-Brexit immigration mess French have stalled us

Nigel Farage has questioned whether Boris Johnson will tackle the post-Brexit immigration "mess" and resolve the issue "head-on" after accusing the French of "stalling" progress.

Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Farage said that reducing immigration into the UK remains a key issue for Tory voters.

The former MEP said he saw a problem with Home Secretary Priti Patels claims on immigration.

He added: Indeed, 2021 is not even a week old and already the first illegal immigrants have arrived at the Port of Dover.

8.30am update:Supermarket Morrison's says Brexit has not impacted on supplies yet

Britain's fourth biggest supermarket group has not experienced ant issues with supplies from continental Europe since a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union took effect last Friday.

Morrison's CEO David Potts said: "There is no issue with the flow of merchandise between mainland Europe to Morrisons right now."

However, he highlighted the the volume of goods crossing the English Channel is low at this time of year.

Mr Potts added: "So I think any delay on the back of paperwork and process post December 31 is yet to be felt or yet to be visible."

8am update: Germany warns of 'brutal damage' to its industries as Brexit deal condemned

Brexit is well and truly a reality after the UK's trade deal with the EU came into place on January 1 - but concern remains in Germany as figures warn of "enormous damage" to the country's industries.

About one in seven cars made in Germany are sold in Britain, meaning a trading arrangement was clamoured for in Berlin in order to prevent a crisis in the country's automotive industry.

But, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's positivity, concern remains in Germany.

German magazine Der Spiegel wrote in the aftermath of the trade deal late last month that the deal agreed is still comparable to a hard Brexit.

It added that "brutal consequences" were around the corner and that "the new year will be a hard wake up call".

The magazine also said "the damage to companies will be enormous, but it is ordinary citizens who will pay the highest price".

See the article here:

Brexit LIVE: EU crumbles as Irish fishermen turn on allies - 'Macron got what HE wanted!' - Daily Express