Brexit may be the best thing for Britain's fishing

Written by PBS NewsHour

Narrated by PBS NewsHour

The world was shocked when, in June, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. Many believe the severance will negatively affect Britain's economy, but the fishing industry expects benefits -- including increased profitability, poverty relief and elimination of what some fishermen see as harmful restrictions. From southwest England, special correspondent Jennifer Glasse has the story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: NewsHour Productions
• Release date: Aug 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781987108668

Reviews for Brexit may be the best thing for Britain's fishing

[CHG · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not a book, so much as a newscast (and now out-of-date.) Given the interviewees were locals from the area which was strongly Leave-voting, the issues were presented with a pro-Brexit bias. The title says it all.(However, there was an attempt at balance: enough to give an illusion of it).

For example: No mention of the environmental aims of protecting fish stocks, or the fact that UK fishing rights had been sold in the past, so the fault (if you want to see it in terms of fault) is not the EU’s but previous fishermen selling UK rights to EU buyers.

Interviewees’ claims went unchallenged - a man mentioned a desire to control immigration, but immigration control is up to the U.K. Government, not the EU. The Government failed to exercise controls available to it (all non-EU migration is 100% down to the U.K.; under EU law, EU migrants can stay for 3 months in another EU country (eg for a holiday or to look for a job), but after that they must have a job or be able to support themselves AND they always must have health insurance, so they don’t burden the NHS. But, the UK Government chose not to bring in those provisions). Similar claims were also not rebutted (eg “taking back control”) However, the claim about the ineffective EU money was rebutted ).

No comments on why the use of food banks and austerity could have resulted in an increase in Leave voters - or who was responsible for it. No experts were interviewed.

Still, it’s always good to hear the views of a diverse range of people, even if you believe that they were misinformed by Machiavellian politicians before the vote.