Thread by @remkorteweg

A thread on fish & #Brexit.

Here is a chart that highlights the four main fish caught by UK vessels, and landed in the UK. #Herring #Mackerel #Cod #Haddock

You need cod & haddock for fish & chips, but not herring & mackerel.

Remember this, it's important.

/1

The no.1 and no.2 fish the UK catches are mackerel and herring, but they are all for export.

The UK sends 81% of its mackerel, and 93% of its herring abroad. Mostly to Norway and the Netherlands.

/2

Remember fish & chips?

The UK only catches a tiny quantity of the cod it consumes: only 5%.

The rest comes from overseas.

/3

Haddock (also used in fish & chips) is more evenly balanced. But even here more than half of UK consumption has to come from abroad.

/4

Under the current #Brexit backstop, fish is carved out. Meaning that if no fisheries agreement is struck between the UK and the EU by July 2020, EU boats will not have access to UK waters, and the UK will not have access to the EU markets for its fish.

/5

This is a lose-lose outcome. Danish, French, Dutch, Belgian & Irish fishermen wd be hurt (they catch a chunk of their fish in UK waters).

But UK wd lose an important export market for their no.1 and no.2 catches.

eg. 30% of UK mackerel and 34% of UK herring goes to NL.
/6

So, either British consumers should start to learn to like mackerel and herring...

...and EU consumers should prepare to pay more for fish.

Or we need an EU-UK fisheries agreement that covers both access to waters and market access.

Very fishy, indeed.

/end

👆@pmdfoster @JenniferMerode @adamfleming