Sir Keir Starmer has seemingly cast aside a key trawler treaty which would have protected British fishermen.
Written in the legal framework for all marine and maritime activities, the details in two articles show how the Government could have protected British fishermen.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which came into force in 1994, is a treaty which was signed by 169 countries, as well as the EU. The UK's waters are included in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends for 200 nautical miles, granting the UK exclusive rights.
Article 56 states that the coastal state, which would be the UK in this case, can claim "sovereign right for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources".
Starmer has been accused of betraying the fishermen
PANotable details in article 62 of the treaty explain that "the coastal state (the UK) shall determine its capacity to harvest the living resources of the EEZ".
It also notes that "nationals of other states (the EU) fishing in the EEZ shall comply with the conservation measures and with the other terms and conditions established in the laws and regulations of the coastal state (the UK)".
However, the article does state that if the UK "does not have the capacity to harvest the entire allowable catch, it shall, through agreements or other arrangements... give other states access to the surplus of the allowable catch".
The EU initially demanded permanent access to UK waters, but it eventually compromised to a deal for the next 12 years.
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Reacting to the news, fishermen raged about feeling let down by "sell-out" Starmer's "reset" relationships with the EU.
Paul Fishburn, a sixth-generation Scarborough fisherman who catches lobster and crab, told GB News: "We've had all our quotas taken off us. We used to get maybe a tonne, two tonnes a month for our little boat for fish.
"Now it's a few kilos, basically or a box a month or so, you can't really target fishing anymore.
"Of course, the French and the Spanish are allowed to take what they want, so there's basically nothing left for us."
A Labour MP claimed that Labour have protected the fishing industry
GETTYOpposition MPs have also called out the Prime Minister for his UK-EU deal, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accusing Starmer of "selling our fishermen down the river".
Badenoch said: "This is a Prime Minister who would pay to give away his family silver. Why is the Prime Minister selling our fishermen down the river? Is it because they don't vote Labour?"
Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Emma Reynolds, took a different position, telling the People's Channel that Labour had "protected the fishing industry from tariffs".
Reynolds said: "We have safeguarded the rights that they had under the previous deal negotiated by the previous Conservative Government, and we've given the industry longer-term certainty.
"We've also brought down those barriers to those who export to the EU and made it cheaper and easier for them to do that.
"So, that will be a benefit to those fishermen and women who fish that stock that is destined for the EU, and it will make sure that they are in a better position economically."
