A FRESH Cabinet Brexit split has emerged after Michael Gove and Philip Hammond clashed over whether to use fishing rights as a negotiating pawn.

The UK will take back full control over who can fish in thousands of miles of its territorial waters on our EU exit in March 2019.

3 Mevagissey, a village, fishing port and civil parish in Cornwall Credit: Adam Burton/Mediadrumworld.com

But a major division has opened up between the Chancellor and the new Environment Secretary over what to do with them, The Sun can reveal.

The two Tory big beasts had an embarrassing clash over the issue during a recent Cabinet Brexit committee.

During the confrontation, Mr Hammond said the government should pool the new power with the EU as a powerful card in exchange for big concessions on a trade deal with Brussels.

But the government’s farming and fishing boss Mr Gove is adamant that Britain must retain full control of who get permits to fish in UK waters, as it was a totemic issue for Brexit voters in the referendum campaign last year.

Allies of Mr Gove also say he holds deep personal feelings about fishing rights, as the adopted son of an Aberdeen fish merchant who was driven out of business by EU Common Fisheries Policy quotas.

A Cabinet source said: “Philip and Michael had quite an exchange on what to do with fishing rights already.

3 Environment Secretary Michael Gove thinks giving part control of our waters would be a betrayal Credit: Rex Features

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“Michael was adamant that giving them away again would be a terrible betrayal of the coastal communities who all voted for Brexit.

“This will be one of the major Brexit division lines in Cabinet in the Autumn as we begin trade talks.”

A second Whitehall source confirmed: “There was a discussion in the Cabinet Brexit committee. There were different emphases on what to do with fishing in the negotiations.

“The Treasury and DEFRA have different priorities, but we are not at war quite yet.”

Territorial waters extend to either 200 miles offshore or the median line between a neighbouring country.

Getting an agreement to open British waters to French, Dutch, Spanish and German trawlers is a major priority for their governments.

3 Philip Hammond wants to give over some control in exchange for a good trade deal Credit: Alamy

Germany boss Angela Merkel pledged to protect her fishermen’s access to Britain’s North Sea waters during an election campaign visit only last week.

Mrs Merkel told a rally in the port city of Cuxhaven: “I can tell those involved in fisheries: we will push for fair conditions for the deep-sea fishers”.

And France’s fishing minister Stephane Travert recently warned that there would be no deal with the UK without good fishing access ageed.

The fishing rights dilemma is the latest in a series of Cabinet clashes over Brexit as the government map out Brexit in detail.

Other ongoing disputes customs union access, immigration levels the length of a transition deal are hampering Britain’s negotiating hands, other ministers fear.