At the moment British fishermen must abide by the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) – which Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to scrap after Brexit.

But the Yorkshire and the Humber MEP said thinking Britain will get control over its waters is "an illusion."

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Mr Corbett said: "Fishing and fishing rights, we have got to negotiate a solution there because it’s an illusion to think that we suddenly take complete control over a portion of the North Sea.

"The big problem in fishing, as you know, is overfishing and the need to protect the stock: you can’t do that unilaterally. Because fish have the unfortunate habit of swimming from one country’s waters to another country’s waters."

The CFP, which allows EU vessels access to UK fishing grounds and imposes strict quotas, is despised by many British trawlermen who blame it for decimating what was once a national industry.

The Labour politician said the United Kingdom had to accept that it will have to engage in specific negotiations to ensure fisheries policy is returned to the UK Parliament in 2019 – despite Brexit returning full sovereignty from Brussels to London.

He continued: "Like it or not you have to negotiate. Previously, we negotiated that within the European Union, we secured huge reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy. Reforms which were very welcome and very necessary. 

"If we leave, we are going to have to negotiate against all the other countries who will already have a joint position before we start negotiating.

"Instead of being around the table with them, we’ll be outside and then have to negotiate with them acting as a bloc."

After Brexit, the UK will be entitled under international law to lay claim to an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) up to 200 miles from its coast, within which the British Government will police how fishing operates. 

In October 2017, 60 coastal communities across nine EU nations called on Brussels to make UK fish exports to the bloc conditional on EU vessels’ access to British waters.

British companies currently export 80 percent of the catches they land in UK waters - mostly to other EU states - whilst most of the fish bought by UK consumers is imported from European firms. 

Ministers have flip-flopped on the issue of whether or not foreign vessels will be able to access British waters after Brexit, with the outcome likely to be tied to a future UK-EU trade deal. 

But Mr Corbett's comments sparked the furious reaction of UKIP Fisheries spokesman Mike Hookem, who hit back saying it was the Labour MEP who was "living an illusion."

Mr Hookem said: "It is Mr Corbett who is living an illusion if he thinks the great British public are going to sit back and allow Brussels to continue pillaging UK fishing ground after Brexit.”

“Daily, public support for UK fishing industry continues to grow, and people who have never had anything to do it now realise the extent to which the industry has been betrayed over the past 40-years."

The fuming Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire MEP – who has campaigned for the complete return of the UK's fishing grounds from Brussels control – continued: "Corbett’s comments prove once and for all that the Labour Party are no fishermen’s friend; unless of course, they are French, Dutch, Belgium, or Danish fishermen. We have all seen the ‘reforms’ to the CFP that people like Corbett support! 

“The reality is, Corbett’s comments are all part of a protracted Remain campaign to undermine fishing as one of the crunch issues of Brexit. For me, Corbett is speaking purely for his friends in the EU rather for those hardworking fishermen, he is elected to represent the constituency we share.”