New cod war pits English against Scots

Scottish fishermen expect to benefit from £3 million of quota that their English counterparts had been expecting
Scottish fishermen expect to benefit from £3 million of quota that their English counterparts had been expecting
DAVID CHESKIN/PA

A cod war has erupted between English and Scottish fishermen over how shares of fish stocks are allocated in the run-up to Brexit.

The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, which represents the industry in England, has accused the government of taking cod quota from its members and promising it to Scotland to appease nationalists.

George Eustice, the fisheries minister, this month withheld 1,500 tonnes of the Arctic cod quota, which would normally go to trawlers in Humberside, after it was awarded to the UK in an annual fishing deal with Norway.

Scottish fishermen now expect to benefit from this quota, worth almost £3 million, to help them to cope with the introduction of the EU’s ban on discarding unwanted fish.

The federation also claims that