An action plan to give Scotland''s fishing fleets breathing space and avoid crew shortages has been agreed with the Home Office.
Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead held constructive talks with Phil Woolas MP, Minister of State for Borders and Immigration, over the employment of non-European Economic Area migrants across the Scottish inshore fleet.
The UK Border Agency has now written again to vessel owners who were recently issued with notices to repatriate their Filipino crew, giving them more time while further consideration is given to the matter. The Scottish Government is separately working on new plans to attract fresh blood into the industry.
Mr Lochhead said:
"I welcome Mr Woolas' commitment to work with the Scottish Government and the UK Border Agency to resolve this difficult situation.
"We have agreed to work together to clarify existing immigration laws to see how the needs of the industry can be met. In order to address the skills shortage the Scottish Fishermen's Federation will make the case for fishing crewmen to be added to the Scottish Shortage Occupation List through the Migration Advisory Committee.
"We are acutely aware that our fleets need to be sustained in the long term and the importance of attracting new blood into the industry. Our New Entrants Working Group is already developing improved ways of promoting the sector.
"This plan will allow us to determine sensible transitional arrangements so that the industry does not suffer undue disruption."
Following routine inspections by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) over March and April this year, 20 UK inshore vessel owners received enforcement letters, ultimately requesting that their Filipino crew were repatriated by 2 July. The UK Border Agency will continue to take action where there are blatant and deliberate abuses of the law, but have re-written to owners who were recently issued with notices, giving them more time while further consideration is given to the matter and the action plan is implemented.
The new action plan will inform the timescale for the implementation of future targeted enforcement activity by the UKBA to ensure that the UK fishing industry operates within the immigration laws.
