Westminster, not the EU, is to blame for the sorry state of UK fishing | Letters

Roger Mainwood, David Walker and John Byrne respond to claims that Brexit will restore the fortunes of the UK's fishing fleetsBertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, claims that if Brexit happens we can "take back control of our waters" (Letters, 25 April). He cites the UN convention on the law of the sea (Unclos) as evidence. What the convention says is that "the coastal State, taking into account the best scientific evidence available to it, shall ensure through proper conservation and management measures that the maintenance of the living resources in the exclusive economic zone is not endangered by over-exploitation. As appropriate, the coastal state and competent international organisations, whether subregional, regional or global, shall cooperate to this end."Britain and all EU member states are parties to Unclos, which also says that countries must jointly manage fish stocks that migrate between two or more countries' waters. Those pesky fish species. More than 100 of the species present in UK waters have an annoying habit of not recognising the UK's 200-mile coastal zone. So they have to be managed at levels that do not exceed maximum sustainable yield. Continue reading...