Fisheries Negotiations 2021

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 10 November 2021.

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Photo of Mairi Gougeon Mairi Gougeon Scottish National Party

The biggest issues that I hear about when I speak to fishers and people in the seafood industry the length and breadth of Scotland are those that I am outlining at the moment. Among those issues, labour is a big issue.

The situation has been exacerbated by Covid-19, which has forced boats to remain tied up at quaysides and has driven volatility in the market. The results in a Marine Scotland survey that was carried out last year showed that 73 per cent of sea fisheries businesses relied solely or partly on Government support to continue operating. Those findings underline the importance of the Scottish Government’s actions in getting help to Scotland’s fishers, processors and small fish and seafood farmers as fast as we could last year. We were the first Government in the United Kingdom to act, and we helped to save many from much harsher financial harm.

Now, we are faced with some difficult scientific advice for 2022. Proposed cuts to key stocks are a real concern for communities up and down Scotland that rely on fishing for their livelihoods. The advice also highlights the precarious nature of some stocks, which must be protected and preserved for future generations. The context is, indeed, challenging.

However, I reassure Parliament that the Scottish Government is focused on getting the best possible deal for Scotland. Even as I speak, marine officials are working hard to promote our interests in the international negotiations with other coastal states. I am pleased to say that we have reached agreement with our coastal states neighbours, in line with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea’s advice, on total catch limits for 2022 for mackerel, blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring.

The first round of our trilateral negotiations with the EU and Norway was productive, and we look forward to hosting the second round here in Edinburgh next week. In addition, the first round of the UK-EU bilateral negotiation starts tomorrow. Although the timescales for negotiation are uncertain and depend on the willingness of our international partners to negotiate, we hope to conclude discussions by the middle of December, which will allow fishers to enter a new fishing year with more clarity, certainty and, I hope, optimism than they have had in recent years.

We are conscious of our obligation to balance the needs of the present with the interests of the future. That is clearly set out in “Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy 2020-2030”, which we published last December, and in the co-operation agreement that we have made with the Scottish Greens. The fisheries management strategy will drive an inclusive approach to fisheries management.