Hard Brexit would mean more and cheaper British fish – but there's a catch

Exclusive: Taking back control of UK waters would lower the price of British-caught fish, new analysis shows - but most of the fish we eat is imported

A hard Brexit that banned EU fishermen from UK waters would lead to many more fish being landed by British boats and a corresponding drop in prices, according to new economic analysis.

But there's a catch. Two-thirds of the fish UK consumers eat are imported from overseas, and the costs of those would rise, due to the trade barriers resulting from a hard Brexit. Moreover, the fall in the price of UK fish would lead to a drop in earnings for UK fishermen. Overall, the analysis shows closing the UK's sea borders would be a "lose-lose situation" for both UK and EU consumers and fishing industries.