In truth it doesn't much matter to me because what i fish is processed within the UK then chucked on a slow boat to China or thereabouts which played a large roll in my decision to buy a single purpose boat and target a species i knew nothing about .
Its in the interest of local fisherman to nurse their livelihood traditionally sons take over from fathers generation after generation so you take the cream and move on allowing it to replenish for next year . But whats the point in leaving it when a French boat (who is probably tracking your coarse) will come in and thrash it to death just as soon as you move away taking 60% of the British quota then have ensured a profitable year heading off home to enjoy the rest of the year fishing their own quota . I get a text most days telling me the catch limitation for something has been amended and i should go online and read several pages of my new legal obligations .
Whats really laughable is the claim that its science based , scientists aren't fishermen and nothing in fishing is static , they may as well bung me a million quid to find a cure for cancer in my coal shed .
Most of the fish caught in Britain is exported but of course they won't want it any more after Brexit , ha yeah right so i guess France will just double its own quota maybe ?
I pay little attention because i really don't care what the mighty penpushers do but i believe the mechisms are already in place that will allow me to land fish in europe (ROI) should i choose to even after brexit , i should have read the letter before i binned it i guess .
Was talking to a mate of mine last month , after a lifetime of fishing culminating in his swan song boat worth nearly a million he hasn't been to sea this year because his quota allowance won't cover his fuel bill to go looking for the fish .
Our fishing industry is all but dead because of rules and it has nothing whatsoever to do with fish stocks .
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Quote
With 756 >12m vessels as of the 1st January 2014, at present, there are 657 (46%) fewer boats in the UK fleet today than at the start of the millennium, when there were 1,413 vessels.
From here -
http://ffl.org.uk/the-state-of-britains-fishing-fleet-detailed-report-from-2014/