Use Brexit freedom to stop French fishing boats, Sunak told

Britain must use its Brexit freedom to keep destructive French fishing boats out of protected UK waters, Tory MPs have warned amid a growing row with Paris.

Rishi Sunak is resisting pressure from the Macron government ahead of elections in France over a decision to ban bottom trawlers from 13 Marine Protected Areas.

It claims the move breaches the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, potentially opening the door to punitive measures against Britain.

Many trawlers operating out of Boulogne depend on catches from the 13 areas subject to the restrictions.

Conservation groups have backed the action to protect the ecological balance in the MPs, which cover around 4,000 square kilometres.

And now MPs from the Conservative Environment Network (CEN) have backed Mr Sunak to keep the boats out of the areas, which stretch from Northumberland to Cornwall.

Hastings and Rye’s Sally-Ann Hart said: ‘Brexit has afforded us all manner of freedoms to protect and restore our natural environment … we can now ban destructive bottom trawling in the offshore marine protected areas around our beautiful coastline to protect our wildlife.

‘Yet, the EU are now angry that they will no longer be able to pillage our waters and destroy wildlife habitats without consequence. We cannot allow other countries to curb and dictate our environmental ambition.

Conservation groups have backed the action to protect the ecological balance in the MPs, which cover around 4,000 square kilometres.

Rishi Sunak is resisting pressure from the Macron government ahead of elections in France over a decision to ban bottom trawlers from 13 Marine Protected Areas

Many trawlers operating out of Boulogne depend on catches from the 13 areas subject to the restrictions.

‘The UK government should be steadfast in its defence of our green Brexit freedoms and recognise the patriotism underpinning the protection of our wild isles.’

Danny Kruger, the MP for Devizes, added: ‘Environmentalism and patriotism go hand in hand. Brexit has helped us to connect the two once and for all.

‘On land and at sea, the UK has wasted no time in passing new environmental legislation to put an end to the EU’s damaging and much maligned agriculture and fisheries policies.  They have been replaced by ambitious policies that protect and restore the natural environment and support the communities and wildlife that depend on these precious natural resources.

‘You would think the EU – which is supposedly committed to ocean conservation – would respect such a move. Instead, it has decided to protest against our conservation measures, without care for our delicate ecosystems and wildlife like puffins and sand eels.’

According to the Financial Times, French diplomats raised the issue at a meeting of EU ministers on March 19.

Officials from the European Commission were due to meet UK counterparts this week.

There will be concerns that an escalation could revive the so-called ‘Scallop Wars’ – when the fleets clashed over access to waters.

Emmanuel Macron’s party has been coming under intense pressure to act ahead of European Parliament election in June.

The UK has stressed that all fishing vessels are affected, not just French ones.

John Flesher, deputy director of CEN, added: ‘The freedom to protect our oceans from damaging practices is a key benefit of Brexit.

‘UK ministers deserve a lot of credit for using this freedom to protect sand eels and the beautiful British birds that rely on them. Indeed, it is a wholeheartedly conservative approach to protecting and enhancing the natural world.

‘They are also absolutely right to ban the damaging practice of bottom trawling in marine protected areas around our coast. It’s time to go further, not to step back. For the sake of the environment and the freedom to make our own decisions, the UK government should stand firm in the face of protests from EU countries and make clear that we have every right to protect British waters and the creatures that inhabit them.’

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