Some parts of the Scottish fishing industry accused Sir Keir Starmer's government of "submission" to the EU to obtain a deal in British waters.

The Labor Minister has agreed to a 12-year agreement that expands existing access to EU ships in exchange for reduced checks and restrictions on food exports.

The agreement was described as "disastrous" by the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF), and Deputy Minister Kate Forbes said it was "a great betrayal of our fishing fleet".

But fish-raising salmon Salmon Scotland welcomes the deal in a “downplay of traditional Chinese tape festival” which will make Scottish products and people more accessible to the EU.

The Prime Minister formally announced the deal as part of the first UK EU summit, calling it a "win-win".

He said this would “remove” the barriers to trade and end the “unnecessary difficult” process of selling Scottish products in Europe.

Starmer added that the fishing agreement would protect UK access without adding EU ships, and other measures mean shellfish can now be sold again in Europe.

“The agreement is not about re-examining old debates from the past,” he said.

“It’s time to make Britain a proud sovereign on the world stage, get the best deals for the people of Scotland and Britain.”

Starmer added that the new sanitation and phytosanitary protocol (SPS) will also benefit other agricultural exporters, while vacationers will be able to use gas at certain airports to reduce waiting time for passport queues.

Forbes welcomes closer collaboration, which “removed a small part of the damage that Brexit continues to cause”.

But she criticized the lack of consultations with the Scottish government on the phishing agreement.

"Given the importance of fishing in Scotland, it is also surprising that the Scottish government's huge betrayal of our fishing fleet is not a surprise," she said.

But SFF CEO Elspeth MacDonald said she was worried that the deal would end any "leverage" in future negotiations in the UK.

She told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland Plan: "This is not a scene, it's the entire EU surrender and a disastrous result for the Scottish fishing fleet.

“The EU clearly violated a deal they signed in 2020 and said they needed another multi-year contract.

“But in doing so, the UK has lost all the negotiated capital and all its leverage, so the EU continues to take up much more resources in our waters than they are entitled to.

“We’ve been in this position and fishing seems to be the price of other things the UK wants.”

Despite the criticism of the deal, it has also been welcomed in other parts of the Scottish fishing and food production industry.

Scott Salmon CEO Tavish Scott said the new deal will help cut the time it takes to bring products into the EU market.

The agency said international sales of Scottish salmon reached a record £844 million in 2024, and in France, Scottish salmon received a "label rouge" quality mark, with the largest market being £462 million.

Mr Scott said the deal could open new opportunities for Scottish producers in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, with demand increasing despite fierce competition in Norway and Chile.

“This breakthrough will relieve the burden on the farmers, processors and communities we support,” he said.

“Scottish salmon is the largest food export in the UK, with strong demand in the EU, the United States and beyond.”

The deal also benefits shellfish producers after the EU bans British fishermen from selling on-site mussels, oysters, clams and scallops to its member states in 2021.

According to these rules, transport of animals to the EU was not previously allowed unless they have been treated in purified plants.

Mike Park, CEO of the Scottish Whitefish Association, called the deal a "complete betrayal".

He said this was the "third time" that the fishing industry was "sold to the river" and was decided by former Prime Minister Ted Heath, who brought Britain to the EU in 1973, and Boris Johnson negotiated after Brexit in 2020.

Mr Parker said: “We understand the free flow of food, and the EU benefits from it, and the UK benefits.

"But here we have a large fleet of ships entering British waters and the British fishing industry has nothing to do with it."

Scottish conservative MPs Gordon and Buchan (Harriet Cross) described the deal as “surrender” and “one of the biggest betrayals we have ever seen in Scotland”.

“Our fishermen have been used as pawns by Keir Starmer, which will have catastrophic consequences for our coastal communities,” she said.

The UK government has also announced £360 million in funding as part of the agreement to invest in coastal communities.

It said this will modernize new technologies and equipment to modernize the fleet, train to improve the skilled workforce and help “revitalize” coastal communities.

Keir Starmer describes the UK EU deal as a "win-win" but that's not necessarily how every part of the Scottish fishing industry sees it.

Fishermen's Federation's sharp response - accusing the British government of "surrender" and Salmon Scotland, a deal that once believed it would "cut down the traditional tape festival" deal, a fact that any deal involves trade-offs.

The British government has tried to offset the disappointment of some in the fishing industry with a £360 million coastal community fund.

The closer cooperation between the UK and the EU is something the Scottish government is pleased to welcome.

However, there will never be a package that will satisfy the SNP ministers, as they favor returning to the EU.

They believe that the best way to achieve this is through Scottish independence. However, this debate has lost most of its energy.

An earlier “reset” of relations between Britain and decentralized governments has improved their way of cooperation.

But the Scottish minister believes that although foreign affairs are for Westminster, consultations should be made on today's deal.