Brexit has 'failed to arrest' sharp fall in fish stocks in UK waters

The UK's cod, herring and mackerel populations are being "grossly mismanaged" by our politicians and overfished, a study has found.

- Helena Horton Environment reporter

The three species have been under pressure for decades but during the Brexit campaign, politicians promised leaving the EU would allow the UK to take control of the situation.

The reality, say ocean experts, is that in the five years since leaving the bloc, rather than protecting British fish, politicians have set catch limits too high, allowing international trawlers to plunder stocks and leave them at unhealthy levels.

Of 105 stocks assessed, the report by Oceana UK found that only 41% were considered healthy, and could maintain their populations.

Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, said: “Five years after becoming an independent coastal state, the UK seems to have accepted a state of relentless decline. We urgently need a plan to end overfishing, one that follows the science and puts our seas on a long-term path to recovery.”