Fisherman: 'Our coastal communities have disappeared'

The UK’s entry into the European Economic Community in the 1970s led to a large reduction in the number of fishing boats operating out of north-east Scotland, fisherman James Stephen has said.

“We were sold down the river,” he told BBC Hardtalk’s Stephen Sackur, adding that he wanted the “injustice” to be reversed.

Only a fraction of the industry remains, Mr Stephen said, explaining that the fishing fleet in north-east Scotland had gone from about 450 boats to about 100.

The UK and the European Union have begun trade talks to put in place a new framework for UK fishing waters after the transition period ends at the end of 2020.

Watch the full interview on BBC World News and the BBC News Channel on Monday 16 March 2020 or watch again on BBC iPlayer (UK only)