A LEADING Brexiteer has lashed out at Boris Johnson's fishing affect the European Union before crunch Brexit talks next week.

In a scathing assessment, former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib said the agreement has given EU vessels “unfettered access” to UK waters while blocking trade to Europe. 

Mr Habib shared his comments on Twitter after reacting to an Sky news article where fellow Brexiteer June Mummery branded the deal a “disaster”.

The Trade and Corporation Treaty was signed-off by Boris Johnson at the top of December and outlined EU fishing quotas would be reduced over subsequent five years.

Since January, the United Kingdom fishing industry has been hit with additional checks on sending stocks to Europe, and fishing chiefs argue the deal in practice gives EU boats continued access to UK waters.

In a post on Twitter, Mr Habib wrote: “EU boats have unfettered access to our waters to catch what they like, unchecked and unchallenged.

“Our own fishermen are prohibited from selling their catch to the EU. This is often the fishing deal. @DavidHGFrost @MPGeorgeEustice @VictoriaPrentis.”


Speaking on Friday with Mr Habib on the Unlocked_UK media channel, Ms Mummery argued the United Kingdom fishing industry has been disappointed.

She said: “The deal remains there and therefore the deal may be a disaster.

“The industry can't express to anyone, how bad it's, and therefore the mood within the industry remains deflated.”

Ms Mummery added: “We were promised that we might take that full control of our waters and therefore the resource and to possess that removed, taking our aspirations and our opportunities faraway from us, was an enormous blow.”

National Federation of Fishing Organisation CEO Barrie Deas has previously branded the deal because the “worst of all worlds”.

Under the terms of the Brexit agreement, EU fishing quotas are going to be gradually reduced over the five-year adjustment period.

In the agreement a compromise was reached for EU quotas to be cut by 25 percent by 2026.

The UK left the controversial EU Common Fisheries Policy and has since encountered further problems regarding the export of shellfish.


Britain is now being treated as a 3rd country by the bloc and must adhere to strict health rules when shipping oysters, mussels, clams, cockles and scallops.

They must now undergo the expensive process of being purified and be amid health certificates before being sent to the continent.

The UK Government were previously told the measures would only last until April 21 – but the European Commission has outlined plans to form it permanent.

Former chief Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost has replaced Michael Gove as Cabinet Office Minister and hold talks with EU chiefs on Monday to iron out issues with the bloc.

Lord Frost also will Chair the EU-UK joint committee and has been tasked to “maximise the opportunities” of Brexit.

The talks are set to specialise in the barriers to trade experiences in Northern Ireland, which has seen additional checks of products moving within the United Kingdom.

Earlier this month, Lord Frost admitted the connection between the 2 sides had been "more than bumpy" and more "problematic" than he had hoped.

He also involved "a different spirit" from Brussels going forward.

Speaking to a Lords committee on the EU, Lord Frost said the United Kingdom wanted a "friendly cooperation between sovereign equals as our vision of the future”.

He added: "I don't think it's been quite the experience of the previous couple of weeks, if we are honest about it.

"I think the EU remains adjusting somewhat, as we thought they could, to the existence of a genuinely independent actor in their neighbourhood."