The government has vowed to fight the European Union’s attempt to overturn a ban on sand eel fishing, in the first formal spat over the Brexit trade deal. Britain banned the fishing of sand eels in English and Scottish seas last March to boost the puffins, kittiwakes and other seabirds that rely on the group of small silvery fish species. The EU responded by initiating an arbitration tribunal process, arguing that the ban breached the EU–UK trade and co-operation agreement, which promised full fishing access to UK waters. The arguments will be heard in a court this month, with documents published late last week showing that the UK will mount a defence arguing it used the best scientific evidence available. Sand eels, which spend most of their life buried in the sand, are a vital part of the North Sea food web ALAMYThe UK will say that

Source: The Times January 20, 2025 14:57 UTC