West Country fisherman blasts EU deal and says he now plans to leave UK for Spain

He says the UK fishing industry is ‘collapsing’

A fisherman has blasted the EU deal and says he is now planning to leave the UK for Spain – as the trade is ‘collapsing’.

Tom Parker, 37, who has been a fishermen since he was 16, has talked about the struggles of the business following the deal that gives EU boats access to British fishing waters for 12 years.

The agreement signed by Sir Keir Starmer in London today (Monday, May 19) reveals the UK will be tethered to the EU’s rulebook on trade standards.

Following the deal, Mr Parker a fisherman at JT Fishing Ltd based in Brixham, Devon, said he is now looking to be a fisherman in northern Spain.

Mr Parker said the fishing industry in the country is “collapsing”, adding that all of the fishermen “have gone older”.

He said: “I am looking for a new country. It is time to leave.

“I have owned a boat for five years. I am looking to move into Spain. The regulations around Spain are a lot easier to get on with than in the UK.

“At the moment it is out of the talking phase. I was looking at Australia but the regulations are just as bad.”

Mr Parker said the fishing industry in the country is “collapsing”, adding that all of the fishermen “have gone older”.

He added: “They always played out on fishery and how we don’t need fishing but the rest of the EU is very interested to get hold of the fishing rights in the UK – it makes you wonder how many brain cells these politicians have got.

“I don’t think the EU is the problem – the UK government haven’t got a clue on any economics.

“It is out of our control – they don’t care. They are going to push their agenda.

“Keir Starmer – surprised no one shot him yet. He is an absolute idiot. He has got no clue on business. He just says tax the rich.”

He stated that to get around the quota business fishermen have gone to smaller boats and that as consequently made the industry “more dangerous”.

He said: “Most fishermen are in their 60s – the whole thing is collapsing anyway. If there is no fisherman there is no one to be on the boats.

“50 per cent of the fishermen are not from the UK. There isn’t any younger fishermen coming through. The whole industry is dying and it is due to over regulation and it is suffocated by the bureaucracy.”