Fundamental Fishing Fix A Must

9th June 2012

Negotiations that will shape the future of Scotland's fishing industry for generations to come reach a vital stage in Europe next week.

That will be the message Scotland's Fishing Secretary Richard Lochhead will give to MSPs during a debate on the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow (Thursday, June 7).

The Cabinet Secretary will also call on everyone in Scotland to get behind our fishermen and fishing communities and offer support in the fight to protect their future.

Speaking ahead of the debate Mr Lochhead said:

"The next seven days are absolutely crucial to the future of Scotland's fishing industry and common sense must prevail. We must ensure this once in a decade opportunity is seized to reform a policy that we have known for so long to be broken and damaging - and finally replace it with something that is fit for purpose. There are many strands to the CFP, but there are three that stand out as clear priorities for Scotland.

"Firstly, we want to see decision-making control returned to regional and member state level. If Europe gives us the powers to make decisions, we must have the tools to make those decisions work effectively. By giving more control to those most knowledgeable about particular fisheries, we can develop tailored management measures on a fishery by fisheries basis.

"Secondly, in Scotland we are committed to conservation, sustainable fishing and the elimination of discards. We have led the way across Europe with our approach to managing our fisheries and our discard reduction initiatives have led to greatest reductions in cod discards by any country in the EU. We want to build on that and strive to always be ahead of the pack - we are industry leaders, not followers.

"And thirdly, we must fight to protect Scotland's historic fishing rights and prevent the imposition of Transferable Fishing Concessions (TFCs). Thankfully, it appears the Commission has listened to Scotland's arguments against TFCs - which could see the transfer of quota from our fishermen leading to the slow and painful decline of our traditional fishing communities. We will continue to stand firm against this proposal.

"Our fishermen and our fishing communities need the support of everyone in Scotland as these negotiations reach a critical milestone. We must not forget how important commercial fisheries and the fish processing sector are to Scotland, with Scottish vessels landing more than £500 million worth of fish last year.

"But this is about more than just money. It's about history and tradition. It's about family life and community survival. And it is about protecting future generations of fishermen who will follow in the footsteps of those who came before them."

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