BRITAIN’S fishermen have been “betrayed” by Michael Gove, MPs said yesterday as Tories announced they would stick to EU fisheries rules for a further 12 months during the Brexit transition period.

Labour fisheries spokeswoman Holly Lynch said fishing communities would “feel angry and let down” that Britain would not take control of its waters immediately.

Top Tories promised before the referendum that such powers could be restored on the day of Brexit.

The government insisted it has agreed "specific safeguards" with Brussels over the annual fishing negotiations in 2019, but Britain will still be subject to the EU common fisheries policy.

SNP MP Pete Wishart said in the Commons: "What a load of codswallop from a secretary of state who is all out at sea on this issue.

"And they will never ever be trusted ever again by the Scottish fisherman.”

But Mr Gove said Britain had bigger fish to fry and would be able to negotiate its fisheries policy independently from December 2020.

“There is disappointment in fishing communities … I completely understand how fishing communities feel about this situation at the moment,” he said.