The United Kingdom’s Foreign Minister, David Cameron, has thwarted a deal between the Republic and the Scottish government that would have authorized Irish boats to fish near Rockall, a contested islet in the North Atlantic which Britain affirms is under its jurisdiction.
The deal barred by the Conservative government at Westminster this week would have permitted Irish fishing boats to net fish such as monkfish and haddock once again within the UK’s claimed 12-mile maritime radius around the desolate islet. Post-Brexit, when Britain exited the EU’s common fishing guidelines, Irish boats were prohibited from this zone. The matter has been a diplomatic contention ever since between the Republic, the UK government and Scotland, where the fisheries sector is a regional power.
The State consented to fund specific marine studies and share the findings with Scottish commercial fishing fleets, in exchange for reopening access for Irish vessels. The leaders of these fleets have been against Irish boats fishing around Rockall. Irish fishing groups maintain they have a long-standing history of fishing around the islet, located about 420km northwest of Tory island.
The dispute heightened in recent years as Irish trawlers were commandeered by Scottish marine protection vessels and commanded to depart the area. There has been ongoing private squabbling over the issue between politicians from Dublin and Edinburgh, most notably during Nicola Sturgeon’s tenure as Scotland’s First Minister.
Sources from both sides of the Irish Sea have confirmed that a comprehensive settlement on this contentious matter was arrived at recently following extensive and sensitive discussions between the Republic and Scotland’s regional government. It is believed, however, that this agreement would have had to be officially incorporated into the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the Brexit separation contract between the UK government and the European Union, brokered by former prime minister Boris Johnson.
This is where the Conservative government in Westminster intervened as the UK’s signatory to the TCA. Before the EU can formally apply to adjust the TCA to accommodate Irish fishing around Rockall, the UK government would first need to officially sanction the Irish-Scottish agreement.
As the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, it would have been necessary for David Cameron to give his approval. A knowledgeable individual has verified that this matter made its way to him prior to its derailment.
The rejection of the agreement occurred on Thursday, following the announcement of the British elections. The UK government cited lack of benefits to the Scottish fleet as the primary reason for blocking the deal. Nonetheless, according to insiders from both Ireland and the UK, the true cause revolves around politics – the Conservative government was unwilling to be seen striking a deal with the European Union, especially during elections, which would inevitably involve an EU concession in reciprocation.
The Foreign Office of the UK maintained silence with a response of “nothing to add”. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, however, declared that an accord remains a top priority, promising to maintain close relations with Scotland with a commitment to ongoing interaction with Westminster.