EU fishermen are catching hundreds of tonnes of British fish and sending it off to the EU without any inspections or oversight, British fisherman have revealed.
Whistle-blowers in Scotland, speaking exclusively to GB News and Facts4EU, have reported repeated instances of EU vessels loading substantial catches straight into EU lorries, without the presence of fishing authorities to check the catch and monitor quotas.
Yesterday, (Sunday, March 23) the Antonio Maria, a French-registered fishing vessel, was pictured ‘transhipping’ its catch straight into a refrigerated lorry bound for the EU, without any fishing authorities present.
In just three hours, the vessel seemed to unload an estimated fifty tonnes of catch into the lorry.
EU vessel the Antonio Maria unloads its catch straight into an EU lorry without any inspection
Facts4EU
EU lorries line up ready to take the catch straight to the EU, skipping any regulation
Facts4EU
As the catch isnot checked at all, it could be made up of illegal species or made up of far more than its official quota allowed and no one would be any the wiser.
Instead, British fishermen must hope EU captains are following all the rules, something they do not believe is happening.
The fisherman who observed the Antonio Maria said: “I tried to speak with the lorry driver. Said hello, all was good, and he spoke away in English.
“I asked was he here to collect crabs and lobsters. He then said, “I not speak English sorry.” So they have been told not to speak about their loads, obviously.”
The same morning, the fisherman also observed another EU vessel arrive in Scrabster port in northern Scotland and once again unload tonne after tonne of fish into a lorry bound for the EU, with no inspectors available.
“This is nae unusual,” said the fisherman. “Same’s happening all over, not only here.”
The fisherman reported this happens regularly and has been taking photos of the activity for years.
EU vessel unloading catch into an EU lorry with no inspectors in 2022
Facts4EU
EU vessel unloading catch into an EU lorry with no inspectors in 2024
Facts4EU
EU vessel unloading catch into an EU lorry with no inspectors in 2023
Facts4EU
Frustrated by the EU’s unregulated plundering of British waters, fishermen have reported their concerns to the authorities but received the following reply.
“As previously stated, exports of fish landed into the UK are strictly controlled and require various documentation and authorisations,” said the Marine Directorate Scotland.
“We look to improve relations with other states to ensure no IUU fish is imported or exported from the UK.”
The problem of unregulated fishing can have terrible consequences for threatened marine species and delicate seabed eco-systems.
As a UN Food and Agriculture report found: “An increasing trend for fishing vessels to load catches directly to containers has been identified.
“Loading catches directly into containers is a concern because it appears that the competent authorities of some port states are not considering this a landing as such, but a kind of quasi-transhipment.
“This means catches pass through the port in transit without undergoing any fisheries-related port state measures, including fisheries inspection.”
The report also found a hotspot for this underhand practice to be in north-eastern Atlantic, which includes Scotland.
It comes as a huge blow to Brexiteers who believed leaving the EU would allow Britain to regain control of its marine larder.
As then Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in October 2019: “We will take back 100% control of the spectacular marine wealth of this country.”
Former Cabinet Minister and arch-Brexiteer Michael Gove also said: “We will not link access to our waters to access to EU markets.”
And yet nearly five years after Brexit EU vessels continue to plunder British seas with very little regulation or oversight.
Other than the ‘transhipping’ reported in this article where catches are loaded straight into EU bound lorries, British fishermen have also reported competing with hundreds of EU vessels in their waters, some of which are registered in the UK to get more quotas, despite having no economic basis for being listed as British.
Fishermen have also reported of EU fisherman killing and maiming seals and birds with old EU tackle, EU fishermen routinely chucking rubbish overboard rather than in port and enormous ‘EU factory trawlers’ not allowed anywhere else in the world hoovering up vast floors of UK seas and destroying the marine habitat.
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Brussels is blocking Britain from a £150billion defence fund unless it wins fishing concessions
Getty ImagesIt comes after Brussels recently linked fishing rights to the UK’s potential participation in a €150billion defence fund.
Under pressure from France, the EU has suggested Britain must grant concessions on fisheries if it wants its defence industry to benefit from the funding.
This move has sparked criticism, with UK officials branding it an unnecessary distraction from Europe’s urgent security needs.
The exclusion of British defence firms from key contracts, unless fishing rights are granted, has been described as “astonishing” by industry insiders.
Analysts warn that the policy could backfire on EU nations as well, given the UK's leading role in producing essential military equipment, such as missile guidance systems and anti-air weapons.
Some European voices argue that France is driving the fishing issue, rather than Brussels as a whole.
Germany and other EU nations may push for a more pragmatic approach that prioritises military cooperation over fisheries disputes.
As tensions mount, there are calls for both sides to separate the fishing issue from defence discussions.
Critics argue that at a time of growing threats, Europe cannot afford to prioritise “a few hundred tonnes of cod” over vital security cooperation.
GB News has attempted to contact the owner of the Antonio Maria for comment.
