The fishermen who feel they've been sold down the river by this Brexit deal

Angry British fisherman say they have been betrayed by the Government in its trade deal with the EU, accusing Boris Johnson of "bottling it" in the negotiations.

As part of the agreement struck between Brussels and London, the EU will return only 25 per cent of the value of fish caught in its waters during a five and a half-year transition period.

The UK had originally demanded a three-year period with 80 per cent of the value returned, while the EU wanted a 10-year period with just 15-18 per cent.

In recent days, the Government has attempted to broker a compromise at 35 per cent – but the EU held firm.

Before the deal was unveiled, a French source described the UK as making "significant concessions" on fish in the pursuit of a wider trade deal, and fishermen across the UK have reacted angrily to what has been agreed.

"We knew from the outset we would be used as a bargaining chip," said Richard Brewer, a sixth generation fisherman who operates a trawler out of Whitby with his two sons.

"Yes, we are leaving Europe – but this is going to leave a very nasty taste in the mouths of fishermen."

Mr Brewer, 66, said that in recent years he had been forced to take on work fishing for prawns and guarding oil pipelines because he and his sons are restricted by the EU to only fishing a fraction of their 300-tonne annual quota.

The agreement, he said, still gives the EU far too much control over the fish caught in British waters.

"There had to be some reciprocal agreement, but not on this level," he added. "It seems we have been totally sold down the river, and it's not the deal we envisaged or even wanted."

Following the end of the transition period in 2026, the Government says the two sides have agreed to annual negotiations – a key British ask.

The EU dropping its demand for a link between the fisheries agreement and the trade deal has been welcomed because of fears that Brussels would retaliate by freezing UK companies out of the Single Market in retaliation for disputes over fish.

"Fishing shouldn't have been mixed in with the trade negotiation," said Scottish trawlerman Aaron Brown, the co-founder of campaign group Fishing for Leave. "No other nation in the world has agreed to that."

Mr Brown described the overall result as Mr Johnson having "bottled it", adding: "The EU has essentially got what it wanted. Everybody knows how Brussels works."

Other fisherman have also questioned the extent to which the UK has retained control of its waters in the negotiations.

Leslie Tait, a fisherman for 34 years who has just stepped down as chairman of Shetland's Fishing Association, pointed to newly-released figures that show local boats are entitled to just 14 per cent of the fish and shellfish around the islands.

He said there have been recent examples of foreign vessels operating in protected areas. "It's not just about quotas but having control," said the 68-year-old.

Grimsby fisherman Darren Kenyon said he has been forced to focus purely on shellfish in recent years due to EU quotas.

The 53-year-old has been busy refitting one of his vessels during the Brexit negotiations to return to trawling next year, but said he had been left deeply disappointed by what has been agreed.

"It never surprised me because I live in the real world,” he said. "I know how the Government treats fishermen – we are bottom of the pile."