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Foreign Secretary David Cameron has told the EU he has no intention of compromising on the post-Brexit dispute over Britain’s move to protect puffins by banning sandfish fishing in the North Sea.
Brussels has launched dispute proceedings against the UK after the French and Danish fishing industries complained about the ban on sand eel fishing, which harvests hundreds of thousands of tonnes. This is a first under the Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). every year in British waters.
But the government is taking a firm stand against the ban, introduced to protect the favorite food of the endangered puffin, one of Britain’s most beloved seabirds.
The row was discussed during talks on post-Brexit relations between Prime Minister David Cameron and EU post-Brexit negotiator Maros Sefcovic in Brussels on Thursday.
In response to Mr Sefcovy raising the EU’s objections, Prime Minister Cameron laid out the UK’s environmentally-focused rationale for introducing the ban, saying the government had “every right” to stop sand eel fishing and that it was based on the Withdrawal Agreement. He insisted that he had not broken any rules.
Talks continue, but a Whitehall official said: I: “Frankly, I don’t think we’re willing to compromise on that.
“We’ve been coached on that and we think we’re right.
“This is not about land grabbing against fishing rights or fishing sovereignty. This is a specific environmental protection and we believe it is the right thing to do.”
Meanwhile, EU officials suggested Brussels was not moving particularly quickly on the row and was relatively happy to continue talks.
“My sense is that neither side is in a hurry,” one person said.
The EU formally opened a dispute procedure over the ban last month, starting “consultations” or negotiations.
A 30-day grace period for an agreed solution has passed, but the EU has not yet taken the next step by invoking arbitration.
If the arbitration panel rules against Britain and the government fails to comply with its ruling, Brussels could retaliate with tariffs or other measures on British exports.
In a joint statement following the meeting, the two countries said Prime Minister Cameron and Prime Minister Sefcovic discussed “the UK’s recent actions in the field of fisheries and the EU increasing access to its waters from 2026 onwards.”
The EU Fisheries Producers Association told BBC News earlier this week that the sand eel fishery is already being managed sustainably, with quotas and exclusion zones in place to protect the fish on breeding grounds. Ta.
Elsewhere in the meeting, Cameron and Sefcovic discussed the Windsor Framework Agreement for Northern Ireland, which must be implemented in a “faithful and timely manner” amid “salient challenges and milestones ahead”. Agreed.
The two leaders also agreed to “intensify” joint work to ensure that EU nationals in the UK fully enjoy their rights under the terms of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
Cameron and Prime Minister Sefcovic also discussed climate and energy, trade, health and security, according to a joint statement.