August 2000

TIME TO COMPENSATE OUR SCALLOP FISHERMEN

The re-imposition, for the second year running, of a complete ban on the harvesting of scallops, in an area covering 22 separate fisheries and almost the entire West Coast of Scotland by The Scottish Food Standards Agency (FSA), could spell disaster for hundreds of fishermen and associated industries. The ban has been imposed due to the presence of high levels of amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), which follows the re-emergence of large quantities of naturally occurring algae blooms in these sea areas. Announcing the latest ban, George Paterson, Director of the FSA, said he "sympathised with the affected fishermen." Well, I'm afraid sympathy is not enough. It is time Scottish fishermen were treated in the same way as fishermen from other EU Member States. For example, generous financial assistance is being paid to Spanish and Portuguese fishermen by the European Commission, while hundreds of their fishing vessels remain tied up, unable to gain access to their traditional Moroccan fishing grounds, as the tortuous third country negotiations continue with the Moroccan Government. Why can't our scallop fishermen get similar help? Last year's ban on scallop fishing due to ASP in the West of Scotland cost the industry an estimated £10 million. This latest ban will be ruinous for the West of Scotland fishing sector and will inevitably lead to bankruptcies and lost jobs, unless the European Commission provides urgent assistance. I have written to Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler urging him to provide speedy compensation for our fishermen while the ban lasts. It is also time the Commission stopped dragging its feet on the whole issue of harvesting and marketing scallops. Earlier this summer I wrote to the Health & Consumer Protection Directorate of the Commission seeking their approval for a scheme to enable only the white muscle of scallops to be marketed in Scotland. The scallop fishermen inform me that 97% of scallops marketed in the UK are processed, effectively removing any potentially toxic organs. Only around 3% are sold whole in their shells. It seems absurd, therefore, that the whole industry should suffer when only such a tiny quantity of scallops could pose a potential risk. In a reply from Robert Coleman, Director General of the Health & Consumer Protection D.G (dated 18th. July 2000), I was informed that my request had been passed to the Standing Veterinary Committee who are currently consulting the National Reference Laboratories for marine biotoxins. Mr Coleman stated that scientific data arising from studies currently being conducted on this issue would be made available to the Commission in the autumn. He said the Commission will then "submit the results to the Standing Veterinary Committee, hopefully before the end of the year." This seems tediously slow and bureaucratic. While I have no wish to interfere with the process of scientific investigation that is clearly necessary, there surely must be a way in which this process can be expedited in the interests of the Scottish scallop industry.

STAFFIES UNDER ATTACK

In a shock move, Staffordshire Bull Terriers have been included in a list of fighting or attack dogs drawn up by the German Government, who have proposed an outright ban on certain specified breeds, including Bullmastiffs, Old English Mastiffs and Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Their ban follows recent attacks involving Pitbull Terriers and the tragic death of a child in the country. The German government is now pressing for the ban to be adopted across the entire EU and has approached the French presidency to include this as an item on the agenda of the next Council meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers on 28 September 2000. This is a massive and unwarranted over-reaction to a media-driven frenzy of anti-dog criticism in Germany. A skinhead thug who had 23 criminal convictions and whose dog had previously been involved in an attack on a child owned the Pitbull Terrier, which attacked and killed the 6-year-old child. However, Pitbull Terriers should not be confused with Staffies, which are ideal family pets and indeed are so fond of and protective towards children they are nicknamed ˜the nanny dog". Although the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is descended from terrier and bull crosses bred in the UK for dog fighting and rat catching, over the past 200 years, the breed has developed far more as a family pet and is currently the ninth most popular breed in Britain. There are now over 250,000 "Staffies" in this country. In addition to being good with children, a number of Staffordshire Bull Terriers perform extremely useful services to the community. Many of them are registered as PAT Dogs (Pets as Therapy), visiting hospices, patients in hospitals, elderly residents in long term care homes, day centres for the mentally handicapped, and children in primary schools. In fact, The Home Office, Kennel Club, RSPCA, and the British Veterinary Association consider the breed perfectly acceptable. I have been inundated with correspondence on this issue from worried pet-owners. It is absolutely imperative that these pets are protected from potentially devastating legislation coming out of Europe. I have therefore written to Jim Wallace, Deputy First Minister and Home Affairs & Justice Minister in the Scottish Parliament, urging him to oppose any EU-wide ban, when it is discussed at the Council of Ministers meeting in September. I have sent a similar plea to Jack Straw, who will also attend the meeting.