Deal for fishermen

New fishing deal for Britain

A new licence condition would be introduced to tackle the problem of fish discarded at sea to evade the "proper operation of quotas". British Sea Fishery Officers would be assisting the Department of Transport in detaining fishing boats without valid safety certificates and checking that crew held appropriate certificates of competence.

Urgent talks

"The Government want to develop a realistic strategy to create a viable future for our fishing industry over the years ahead. These talks will start the process", he said.

An important breakthrough

Crucially, enforcement of the new arrangements will be agreed by qualified majority voting. It can therefore not be vetoed by other EU members.

Efforts to preserve UK fish for UK fishermen have already been lost in the European Court, but Mr Blair described the deal as "a very important breakthrough for us and it applies both to existing quota-hopping as well as anything happening in the future".

"When you see the terms set out, it certainly can be policed and monitored. I don't doubt that it will never be what everyone would like in an ideal work but it is more than we have ever secured before", said the Prime Minister.

But Spanish officials dismissed Mr Blair's claim of a deal on quota-hopping.

During Prime Minister's Question Time, Opposition spokesman Tony Baldry branded the deal a "comprehensive sell out", and accused the government of betraying British fishermen in a "black day" for the industry.