The North Atlantic and, in particular, the so-called northern outer waters of the EU, have an abundant population of cod and haddock that supplies French fries stores in the United Kingdom with 26% of fish. The majority of seafood imported to the United Kingdom from the rest of the EU comes from Germany, Sweden and Denmark. It is mainly composed of salmon, tuna and cod. About 20% of the value of seafood imports is salmon from Sweden.
These figures include several fish that live beyond the limits of the waters of the United Kingdom, such as arctic cod and sole from western Ireland. If we consider the 73 different fish stocks that live in UK waters, the total EU quota was 1,920,915 tons, of which 585 211 tons were allocated to the United Kingdom (which also represents 30%). Individual quota allocations vary depending on stocks, as shown in Figure 1 below. For example, the United Kingdom receives 84% of the share of haddock in the North Sea, 81% of the share of monkfish in the North Sea and 98% of the shrimp quota in western Scotland; but only 4% of the share of sprat in the North Sea, 18% of hake from the North Sea and 28% of the North Sea sole.
In verifying this statement, it is first worth noting that if the United Kingdom were allowed to catch 20% of the fish that swim in British waters and the EU took the rest, then there would be no fish left in the sea. For this reason, he argued that trade agreements with the EU “will be a key factor for the future success of the UK's fishing industry and fish processors.” They dominate the fish market in the United Kingdom, so much so that supermarkets have initiated campaigns to raise awareness that there are other fish and that, at least, they should be taken into account. If Farage's argument is that most of the fish stocks that live in UK waters are fished by other member states, then he is right; but the figure is not 80%, but 70%. Many fishing companies campaigned for Brexit because they were against increasingly strict controls on fishing quotas.
A parliamentary report released today reveals that around 75 percent of the fish caught in the United Kingdom is exported, mainly to the European Union, while most of the fish consumed in the United Kingdom is imported.
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