The British Navy has put four patrol ships on standby to defend British fishing grounds in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Ministry of Defense said On Monday.
“The Ministry of Defence has taken careful planning and preparation to ensure that the navy will be able to defend the country in all circumstances at the end of the transition period,” Reuters quoted a Ministry of Defence spokesman as saying today. The four vessels, 80 metres long, are said to be capable of intercepting EU fishing vessels entering the UK’s exclusive economic zone. Britain’s exclusive economic zone can be as far as 320km from the coast. The Guardian had previously reported that the Navy would send two of its four patrol ships into the EEZ, with the remaining two on standby.
As the two sides have not yet reached an agreement on their future trade relations, the UK is likely to move towards a no-deal brexit after the end of the brexit transition period on December 31 this year. Under the current transitional arrangement, vessels from the EU side will be allowed to fish in British waters until 31, but the future is unclear after that, raising the prospect of a maritime conflict between their vessels. The British military’s move has drawn criticism at home and abroad. “Our adversaries will be delighted to see that [sending warships] could lead to a heavy navy having to confront NATO Allies over fishing rights,” says Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP.
Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister and current MEMBER of the European Parliament who chaired the Parliament’s brexit steering group, also tweeted: “Fish for gunboats! Is this really what people voted for? We are your Allies and partners, not your enemies!” “Keep calm and carry on”, quips an official in the French presidential palace, which has always been tough on fishing rights, quoting a famous wartime slogan.
British and European leaders have warned that a post-Brexit trade deal is now “unlikely”, the BBC reported Tuesday. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the EU needed to make “significant changes” to key differences on fishing rights and fair competition rules, while European Commission President Jeroen von Der Leyen said no deal was now the most likely outcome of what he called “difficult talks.”
Meanwhile, British officials warned supermarkets to stock up on food and suppliers of medicines, medical equipment and vaccines for up to six weeks if talks break down and trigger panic buying, the Sunday Times reported, citing sources.
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