British fishermen rage as French boats 'break' Brexit agreement - 'We are on our knees'

Angry fishermen are calling for urgent action over an ongoing problem - and one MP has shared a photo showing '11 French fishing vessels inside the 12-mile limit' last week. The ongoing issue affecting commercial fishermen is reaching a boiling point, as many are just trying to 'do a day's work' and are competing with bigger non-local trawlers around the British coast.

Fishermen are fuming, and Liberal Democrat MP Rachel Gilmour (for Tiverton and Minehead) wants to see immediate intervention on the 12-mile limit for European fishing boats rule as it continues to go "unacknowledged by the regulators". Also known as the territorial limit, the 12-mile rule means foreign fishing vessels should not operate within this area. However, MP Rachel Gilmour has spoken of a 'never-ending' presence of European vessels in these zones - and she's reported the issue to the UK Government, enclosing a screenshot of foreign vessels within the limit.

Importantly, many fishermen angered by this ongoing dilemma have pointed out that they are working from inshore U15 boats, which are commercial fishing vessels under 15 metres in overall length.

Inshore fishermen, using smaller boats (and sometimes rod and line as opposed to nets), argue that their fishing methods are more sustainable. If a fish is undersized, they 'throw it back'.

Many have said 'bad fisheries management' is not considering the 'real problems' facing British fishermen, and 'vessels outside of the UK are using smaller mesh nets to catch as much as they can without any thought to sustainability', one Devon fisherman said.

MP Rachel Gilmour also highlighted that non-local vessels may be 'catching non-quota species' which are the 'mainstay of the fishery in the South West and have been for a long time for the inshore fleet'.

The Lib Dem MP brought this to the attention of then fisheries minister Daniel Zeichner in her recent letter, which addresses concerns over the lack of regulation of foreign fishing vessels having a significant detrimental effect on the ability of the inshore fishing fleet to survive.

The letter states that 'fishermen (in Minehead, Somerset) have advised me that these foreign boats have been working the same area for about a fortnight now, gradually increasing in numbers as the days go on'.

It comes after Keir Starmer was accused of 'selling out' fishing after an agreement was announced (in May 2025), giving EU fishermen guaranteed access to UK waters until 2038.

The deal, part of a post-Brexit trade negotiation, left UK fishermen furious as it means a further 12 years access to UK seas for the EU fleet, however, the 12-mile limit should still be adhered to within the agreement.

Cornish fisherman Jack Baker agreed, he said: "Get EU boats outside the 12 miles to start with, all inshore boats under 15 metres want to just bring back 40 years ago, when you could just go out and do a day's work and land everything you catch.

"There were no quotas then and no Vessel Monitoring System. I don't mind the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) checking the boat over, but just standard safety is enough - these measures would get the industry back off its knees."

Another local said it's time to "actually stand up for our fishermen and women and stop giving all our fish quotas away to foreign vessels", adding that "moving foreign boats" out to at least the 12-mile limit would be a good start.

Retired fisherwoman Sarah Ready worked in the industry for 35 years - and now she is 'fighting for fishing coastal communities off the Minehead coastline'.

She said: "There are two issues, the waste of millions of pounds on the Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (I-VMS) roll out - and the real problem, unmonitored foreign fishing vessels in UK waters."

Part of MP Rachel Gilmour's letter to Fisheries Minister Daniel Zeichner reads: "Our British coastal communities will continue to decline, and the UK's ability to sustain its fishing industry will be irreparably damaged - unless there's immediate intervention."

In April 2025, the UK Government announced that 'UK fishers demonstrating environmental, social, and economic benefits from quota will be awarded additional quota.'

At the time, then Fisheries Minister Daniel Zeichner said: "I'm delighted to see the expanded Quota Application Mechanism rewarding fishers who demonstrate clear commitments to sustainability.

"By allocating quota based on environmental, social, and economic criteria, we're charting a new course for UK fisheries that balances conservation with economic prosperity. It's a vital step towards building a sustainable and profitable fishing industry, as part of our Plan for Change."

But, UK fishermen and industry professionals would no doubt raise the question of how larger foreign trawlers not adhering to a quota - and fishing within the 12-mile limit - helps with marine sustainability.

Government data reports that the number of UK fishing vessels has 'reduced by 52% over the past three decades, from over 11 thousand vessels to approximately 5.5 thousand'.

These statistics also highlighted that the majority of UK fishing boats, approximately 79% of the UK fleet, are represented by vessels under 10 metres in length, of which 49% are administered in England.