University boffins in Paisley have been given funding to study how Brexit will affect UK fisheries.

They have teamed up with colleagues in Aberdeen to study significant changes likely to occur in the Common Fisheries Policy when Britain leaves the EU.

The collaborative research project between the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and University of Aberdeen will explore the added complexity of devolvement in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which will see the individual governments responsible for fisheries.

The research team is made up of Dr Arno van der Zwet and Dr John Connolly from UWS and Dr Craig McAngus, project lead, from Aberdeen University.

Dr McAngus said: “We would presume that once the UK leaves the EU, the Scottish Government will oversee Scottish territorial waters, to take one example.

“However, it has been suggested that in order to run an efficient and effective fishery policy the UK Government may wish to repatriate powers over fisheries away from the devolved institutions.”