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SCOTLAND'S FISHING INDUSTRY - DARKNESS
BEFORE DAWN!
A further 51 Scottish whitefish vessels are to
be scrapped under the latest decommissioning round
and the Scottish Executive are looking for more
owners to leave the industry. The 51 latest victims
of the savage cuts affecting the Scottish fleet
include some of the youngest and most modern boats
- the cream of the fleet. They, of course, are
the ones carrying the biggest debts and are therefore
least able to survive the 15 days per month tie-up
regime and the 50% cuts in quotas imposed on the
whitefish sector last December, in a last-gasp
attempt to save cod stocks. The Scottish fleet
will be reduced to 700 vessels - down from
1800 in 1973. Collapsing fish stocks, lost jobs,
emergency closures, enforced tie-ups and draconian
conservation measures have all contributed to
the unfolding disaster. The fact that new, state-of-the-art
fishing vessels are still being built with taxpayer's
money in Spain and Ireland has rubbed salt in
Scottish fishermen's wounds. With over 70% of
Europe's total fishery resources in the rich waters
surrounding the United Kingdom, people are rightly
astonished that our once proud industry has been
brought to its knees by the Common Fisheries Policy.
It is against this background of gloom and despair
that I led a high-level delegation from the Fisheries
Committee of the European Parliament on a visit
to Scotland in early September. We were accompanied
by Jörgen Holmquist - Director General of
Fisheries from the European Commission - who had
with him one of the Commission's leading scientists.
We held meetings with Fisheries Minister Ross
Finnie and with leaders of the industry from across
Scotland. We also spent two days in the West of
Scotland visiting the Marine Laboratory at Dunstaffnage,
near Oban and salmon farms at South Shian. I believe
that our visit was timely. The Committee is currently
debating the Stihler Report on plans for the long-term
recovery of cod. The report will finally go before
the full Parliament in Strasbourg at the end of
October, with a decision in the Council of Ministers
likely in November.
The current savage measures agreed by the Council
of Ministers last December were only supposed
to remain in place until July at the latest. However,
Commission delays in publishing their long-term
recovery plans, means our beleaguered whitefish
fleet will have to suffer this harsh regime for
almost twice as long as originally intended. What
other business could survive such desperate cuts
without compensation? It's like forcing a shopkeeper
to close his shop for half of every month and
then only allowing him to make half of his goods
available for sale on the days he is open. It
is commercial suicide. The fact that our fishermen
will suffer these measures for almost a full year
is beyond comprehension.
It was because the European Parliament recognised
the extreme hardship that was likely to be caused
by these measures that we supported a massive
£100 million emergency aid package for fishermen,
processors and ancillary workers affected by the
short-term cod recovery measures. However, despite
overwhelming cross-party support in the Parliament
and sympathetic enthusiasm from the Commission,
the move has been consistently blocked by the
UK government. For the aid package to become a
reality, the UK government has to submit a proposal
to the Commission, who then make a formal submission
to the Council of Ministers. Despite repeated
pleas from me and from the Fisheries Committee,
no such proposal has been submitted by the UK
government. Worse still, they have sought to mislead
the fishermen by issuing public statements blaming
the Commission for failing to come forward with
an aid proposal in Council. Of course the Commission
cannot do so without receiving a detailed request
from the Member State in question. Thus, the thousands
of fishermen, harbour workers, processors and
rural communities devastated by these cuts have
been left to twist in the wind, abandoned by their
own government. However, we cannot simply sit
back and allow our great fishing industry to die.
We must fight for a better future.
The Stihler Report sets a fixed number of days
at sea per month for each vessel in specific categories,
depending on the gear they use. This is seen as
a much fairer system for controlling fishing effort.
There are detailed proposals for improved monitoring
and inspection to ensure proper compliance with
the new measures. The new Regional Advisory Councils
which will bring together fishermen and scientists
in specific fishing zones are also given a key
role under the long-term recovery proposals, ensuring
stakeholder involvement in the decision-making
process. The need for proper socio-economic aid
is also highlighted. But the cod recovery plan
is only part of the process. Right now the EU
is only 60% self-sufficient in fishery products.
We have rising consumer demand for more and more
fish and yet, due to the parlous state of our
own marine resources, we cannot meet this demand.
There is therefore a wonderful opportunity for
a careful and sustainable expansion of the aquaculture
sector.
For many years Scotland has been at the cutting
edge of the international fish-farming industry,
leading the way in new and innovative techniques
and ensuring high quality products and high environmental
standards. This is why we felt it was important
to visit the Marine laboratories in Dunstaffnage
and to see a West coast salmon farm. There are
great opportunities for farming new species of
fish. Recently I have seen tuna, cod, hake and
even sturgeon being reared artificially, in tanks.
Scotland's vast coastline and climate are ideally
suited for fish farming and we have to encourage
steady growth in this sector, at the same time
ensuring the strictest compliance with environmental
best practice. Hopefully, as our marine fish stocks
gradually recover and our aquaculture sector burgeons,
Scotland can look forward to a new golden era
of prosperity in the fishing industry.
There is no doubt, however, that such golden
rays are still only a distant glimmer at the end
of a long, dark tunnel and our chances of survival
will continue to be blighted by the Common Fisheries
Policy. That is why our fishermen realise it is
essential to ensure that the Tories win the next
general election, in order that they can fulfil
their pledge to take the UK out of the CFP and
to repatriate fisheries control to Westminster
and Holyrood. Only the Tories can make this happen.
Labour refuse and their Lib-Dem chums won’t
rock the boat. Although the SNP are recent converts
to repatriation, like most of their policies,
it is not worth the paper it is printed on! It
will take an elected government at Westminster
to unravel our treaty obligations on the CFP and
therefore the Tories are the only show in town.
www.scottishtorymeps.org.uk
STRUAN STEVENSON
(MEP for Scotland)
For further information please
contact:-
Elaine McKean
Indigo (PR) Ltd
27 Maritime Street
Edinburgh EH6 6SE
Tel 0131 554 1230
Mobile 07866 602 985
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