CORNISH fishermen have slammed the announcement this week that the UK and EU have agreed to a 12-year extension of the current fishing arrangements.

Previously agreed by the Conservatives, the Labour government has agreed to continue allowing EU trawlers extensive access to British fishing waters within the controversial 12-mile zone.

Cornwall’s two Liberal Democrat MPs have also spoken out about the decision. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has dubbed Monday’s deal a “new chapter” in the relations between the UK and the EU.

The food and drinks element of the deal means that fish caught in British waters can now be processed and sold into the EU without veterinary checks, eliminating huge costs created by Brexit. However, the one element that led to anger among the Cornish fishing industry will continue.

The Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation (CFPO) represents fishermen from all over Cornwall who make up one of the most sustainable and diverse fishing fleets in Europe. The organisation has reacted to the new deal in a hard-hitting statement.

It says: “The Labour government’s manifesto does not mention the fishing industry, and since its time in power, it’s hard not to believe it was left out for good reason. In the short space of ten months, we have seen nothing but taking away any hint of opportunity from the UK fishing industry and its surrounding coastal communities, and it’s now a wonder what else can Keir Starmer do to make more of a mess of our industry.

“The UK-EU reset deal struck on May is as far away from the CFPO’s priorities as could be imagined. At least 13 more years of guaranteed access for the EU fleet, all the way up to the six-mile limit, no change in quota shares and absolutely nothing in return that will mean anything for a fisherman on the deck of a boat.”

The group adds: “How could this go so wrong when the UK held the most powerful card in the pack? Automatic access for EU fleets to fish in UK waters was scheduled to expire in June 2026. That card was surrendered on May 19, 2025, as the UK sought trade and other benefits from the post-Brexit deal. The lack of direct engagement from those at the very top who were responsible for making this deal is evident in the outcome. The CFPO priorities were clear and simple and not at all unreasonable, and not one has been met, or even come close.

“For all of the hard work that Cornish fishermen have put in to shaping up the new post Brexit world under the UK Fisheries Act, attending countless meetings to ‘co-design’ new fisheries management plans, it all feels rather pointless given the outcome of this new trade deal. The lack of future opportunity the deal holds for our fishing businesses, our coastal communities, our next generation of fishermen, let alone our ability to manage our own seas will beg the question of any fisherman, why bother getting involved in fishing policy and politics ever again. Especially knowing that the EU will be marking our homework every step of the way. How far we are from being a true independent coastal state.

“But allocating blame brings limited benefit. Realistically, there was always going to be a multi-year access deal for EU fleets. The geopolitics of the moment just do not allow for a bad-tempered breach between the UK and the EU at this juncture. It is the Government’s complete failure to secure any quid pro quo in fishing terms that is breathtaking.

“An exclusive 12-mile limit would have marginal impacts on French, Belgian and Dutch fishing businesses but would have meant a great deal for the fishers struggling to make a living off the South West coasts. A transfer of quota of stocks where there is an acute shortage (rather than paper fish) would have made a significant difference and would have signalled that this is a government that actually cares about fishing and was committed to securing its future.”

West Cornwall MP Andrew George, who has fishing hotspots Newlyn and Penzance within his constituency and has lobbied ministers on the deal, said the outcome was “very disappointing”. He added: “The fishing industry was let down by the Conservatives, who failed to ensure exclusive rights for UK vessels within the 12-mile zone, as they promised they would. Now the Labour Government has compounded this by failing to take the opportunity to take back control of our fishing waters to the 12-mile limit.

“The fishing industry was always seen as ‘expendable’ by previous Conservatives. It’s clear now the Labour government see it in the same way.” Mr George was referring to the then Conservative PM, Edward Heath, who described the UK fishing industry as ‘expendable’ when negotiating membership of the European Common Market in 1974.

His fellow Lib Dem MP Ben Maguire has also slammed the new deal. The North Cornwall MP, whose patch includes fishing port Padstow, said the fishing community “deserves more than broken promises and bureaucratic barriers”.

“The very least the Government must now do is work with our fishing communities, both here in North Cornwall and across coastal areas of the UK, to understand how this deal will affect them and push for fairer export terms to the continent,” he added.