Nigel Farage has condemned the “shameful sight” of “multi-millionaires frankly mocking” a Brexit event organised by the Peterhead-based Fishing for Leave group.
The event was designed to convince voters to back Britain leaving the EU but instead descended into farce after Boomtown Rats and BandAid musician Bob Geldof blasted songs and insults at UKIP leader Mr Farage.
Mr Farage set sail on a small trawler at the head of the fleet of 50 to 60 vessels which passed under London’s Tower Bridge at around 10am this morning before being intercepted by activists including Mr Geldof.
The singer’s vessel pulled alongside Mr Farage’s boat and the Boomtown Rats frontman unleashed a verbal broadside, calling the Brexit campaigner a “fraud”.
Around 50 to 60 boats had originally been expected to take part in the protest, passing the House of Commons while David Cameron was answering Prime Minister’s Questions.
Addressing Mr Farage over a PA system on his vessel, the Sarpedon, Geldof said: “You are no fisherman’s friend.”
He said that while Mr Farage was on the European Parliament fisheries committee he attended just one out of 43 meetings.
“You are a fraud, Nigel. Go back down the river because you are up one without a canoe or a paddle. Stop lying. This election is too important.”
But Mr Farage branded the Geldof protest “just disgusting” and said he had shown “contempt” for the UK’s fishing communities.
He said: “These are communities that have been devastated. These are communities that no-one has listened to for years.
“They are here today, they have taken – some of them – several days out of their working week to come and make their protest, to say Look, we want to take back control of our seas, we want to get jobs back in this industry’.
“To see multi-millionaires frankly mocking them is a pretty shameful sight.”
Mr Farage said the protest was taking place eight days ahead of the June 23 referendum because EU membership had “destroyed our industry”.
“The governing principle of the common fisheries policy is that of ‘equal access to a common resource’,” he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaYCQG3vILM
“Fish stock that should be within the UK’s internationally-recognised territorial waters is now shared with our European partners. This has led to a 60% drop in oversized landings and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in our industry.”
Jobs were also being lost in the charter angling fleet because of new EU regulations on recreational sea angling, said the Ukip leader, who added that Norway, outside the EU, was able to control stocks up to 200 miles off its shores and had a “booming” commercial fishing and angling industry.
“EU membership has destroyed our industry,” said Mr Farage.
“Today’s flotilla is not a celebration or a party but a full-throttled protest. We want our waters back.”
Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven said: “When Nigel Farage had a chance to stand up for UK fishermen in Brussels, he bunked off. His no-show voting record proves he’s no fisherman’s friend but a cynical opportunist exploiting the harsh predicament of many fishermen for political gain.
“What’s threatening the livelihoods of thousands of sustainable, family-run businesses is the grossly unfair division of fish quota overseen by successive UK governments. The root of the problem lies in London, not Brussels.
“Quitting the EU will only condemn the industry to years of wrangling over new fisheries agreements, with no guarantee of a better deal for fishers or stronger protections for our seas.”
