As the UK prepares to vote in its general election, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation (NFFO) has expressed its concern over the “negative impact” of having a Scottish Fisheries Minister taking the lead in representing the UK industry at EU level.
The organisation says there’s potential for fishing to be sacrificed in what it calls “post-election horse trading” and has written to all political parties highlighting the “negative ramifications” of a Scottish Fishing Minister leading the interests of the UK’s 6,415-strong fishing fleet.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has made its intention clear to take lead in representing the UK fishing industry in the EU Council of Ministers, despite the “major constitutional issues such a move would raise”. With the SNP forming part of the UK government, NFFO says a Scottish Fisheries Minister would only be answerable to the Scottish fishing industry which could potentially “undervalue” the voice of fishermen in the UK favouring the Scottish fleet.
“At bottom this is a question of democratic mandate,” said Barrie Deas, chief executive, NFFO. “If a Scottish Minister was allowed to take the lead in Council under some unseemly back room deal, it would disenfranchise the whole fishing industry outside Scotland. This would be unacceptable at any level.”
The NFFO says this a matter of “fundamental importance” at a time when the industry is facing its own pivotal changes with the widespread introduction of the discard ban in January 2016.
“It is vitally important that the fishing industry outside Scotland is not traded away as a sop to the SNP on the spurious basis that more fish is landed in Scotland,” added Mr Deas. “In fact in terms of numbers of fishermen and economic value of landings, fishing is at least equally as important in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as it is in Scotland.”
