A review of the management of one of Scotland''s national assets - its fish quota - will be the focus of a consultation meeting in Eyemouth.
The new proposals, published for consultation in May, intend to put fishermen at the heart of fish quota management, provide greater certainty to fishermen in Scotland through access quota, and help strengthen coastal communities for generations to come.
The meeting will be chaired by officials from the Scottish Government's marine directorate and will be held on Friday 1 August 2008 at 10:00 at the Fisherman's Mission, Harbour Road, Eyemouth TD14 5HT and is open to members of the public.
Speaking ahead of the public meeting, Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
"Fishing provides the lifeblood of many of Scotland's communities and sustains tens of thousands of jobs. It is vital that we consider how we can best safeguard our fishing communities' birthright for future generations. My hope is that our review will help achieve that.
"The arrangements governing fishing rights are crucial as they provide access to our rich fishing grounds. Therefore there must be benefits for the current generation of fishermen but we need to ensure that these benefits are available to future generations as well.
"I would call on everyone in Eyemouth to come along to have their say on this vitally important issue - this is an opportunity to help shape Scotland's fishing rights for future generations.
"That is why the proposals I have outlined set out an ambitious new path for Scotland which will allow arrangements to be tailored to Scottish needs.
"They will put in place new arrangements that will help safeguard Scotland's traditional fishing rights for future generations while encouraging the flexibility and stability necessary for sustainable economic growth.
"Every time I visit a fishing community in Scotland I am asked to take steps to protect fishing rights for future generations. Our proposals aim to do just that.
"These proposals provide arrangements tailored to Scottish circumstances, and have been carefully designed to safeguard Scotland's fishing rights while allowing close working with the rest of the UK to continue. This is a consultation and we are open to views on how we can help achieve the best outcome for our fishing communities."
Key recommendations in the consultation include:
* Safeguarding Scotland's traditional fishing rights for now and the future by encouraging them to be kept in Scotland
* Making sure Scottish fishermen get their fair share of quota providing stability and security so that businesses can plan for the future
* Making sure fishing quotas are only held by businesses who fish them
* Encouraging new blood into the industry by seeking to develop jointly with the industry a new entrants scheme
* Reforming licensing to make it simpler and user-friendly so reducing business costs.
The consultation period will run until 21 August 21 2008.
