The Guardian view on Brexit’s fishy tale: we will need friends at sea — theguardian.com

Fisheries make up a tiny proportion of the UK’s economic activity – roughly 0.1%; around three-quarters of that is on the processing side of the industry. But that understates the cultural significance of fishing to a nation surrounded by water. The freedom to make a living from the sea is vital to many communities’ sense of self-sufficiency and self-esteem. It reaches deep into a national sense of independence, which is why the common fisheries policy (CFP) has felt like an affront to sovereignty. Yet when the UK leaves the European Union at the end of January , few believe we will be “taking back our waters”. Fishing’s symbolic potency means it will loom larger than many industries in the coming awkward trade compromise.

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