‘It’s a feeling of dread’: Plymouth fish market boss fears collapse as French boats make ‘ludicrous’ moves

"It's a feeling of dread again. We were waiting for a bad deal to end already and it's been taken out of everyone's hands in one sweep," he said.

Goodacre highlighted the impact of foreign vessels operating within British waters, stating that "boats are coming in within the six-mile limit at the moment and fishing inside some of our larger boats."

Goodacre expressed particular concern about the impact on future generations of fishermen. "Most definitely. There is a whole generation being pinned back by this deal," he said when asked about the next generation.

He warned that reduced fish stocks would be diverted to Europe rather than remaining under British control. "Our stocks are going to be going to Europe rather than us deciding what we do with our own stocks. It's completely out of our hands," Goodacre explained.

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The fishing boss predicted that the industry would "end up with a smaller inshore fleet and a larger offshore fleet to be in direct competition with these boats in our grounds."

Goodacre described the situation with foreign vessels as "quite ludicrous," detailing how "we've got French boats, Spanish boats, some Dutch boats, fishing inside our own boats."

He explained that these European vessels are operating within the six-mile limit, creating direct competition for British fishermen.

The Plymouth market boss suggested that "it would have been better if we could push the limit a bit further out so our boats do have a border, so to speak, in the sea that we fish up against and cut back on the foreign boats working on our grounds."

This increased foreign presence has intensified competition for domestic fishing grounds, putting additional pressure on the UK fleet.

The business impact has been severe for Goodacre's operations. "Locally, our market has been closed due to volume. Trepidation is the way I look at it," he said, describing the current state of Plymouth fish market.

The reduced availability of local fish has forced the business to adapt its sourcing strategy. "We've been having to buy from further afield which is a bigger cost to the business," Goodacre explained.

He warned that "any less fish coming into the UK is detrimental to the fishing industry full stop in every aspect."

The market closure and increased costs represent the immediate consequences of reduced fish stocks, with Goodacre noting that "if there's less fish in the markets that means higher prices."