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Leading in Europe
The failure of successive UK Conservative and Labour governments
as well as the Labour-Lib Dem Executive (1999-2007) to adequately
represent or protect the interests of our fishing industry is one of
the biggest failings of the current constitutional settlement. Given
that we know for certain that our fishermen were described as being
"expendable" when we entered the European Union, it is no
surprise that this attitude has been the hallmark of successive
governments' treatment of this key Scottish industry. That failure
is reflected in the disastrous Common Fisheries Policy and its
impact on our fishing industry.
Two recent events, the cut in days at sea at December 2006's
negotiations in Brussels and in March 2007, when DEFRA decided to
give away valuable prawn quota, to Germany without consulting our
own fishermen, confirm the need for a new approach. Let there be no
misunderstanding, with white fish catches at an all time low, prawns
provide a vital catch to the Eyemouth fleet and this capitulation by
the UK department, DEFRA, without so much as a peep from the then
Lib Dem and Labour Executive in Scotland was a disgrace.
The SNP minority Scottish Government, SNP members at Westminster
and in the European Parliament will fight to give Scotland's
fishermen better representation and a stronger voice than has ever
been offered by the UK Government. With about three quarters of the
UK fishery in Scotland, it is absurd that Scotland doesn't already
lead the UK's Ministerial delegation at EU meetings, just as
Flanders does for Belgium. The current system whereby landlocked
Austria and Luxembourg have a greater say over Scotland's fisheries
than Scotland does is unsustainable and frankly an insult to
democracy and the principle of accountability.
Since winning the Scottish election in May 2007, we have proposed
that industry representatives will be seconded to ministerial teams
participating in international negotiations and that no longer
should industry representatives be locked out of negotiations and
ignored. The SNP Scottish Government has held early meetings with
the UK Government and is seeking to shift the intransigence of the
Whitehall establishment on Scotland leading the UK delegation.
Meetings have and will continue to be held directly with the
European Commission to discuss the impact of the CFP on Scotland. A
better future outside the CFP The SNP will continue to work for
withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy and will not support any
future European Constitution that grants the EU "exclusive
competence" over this valuable resource.
We will work with our partners to enlist support for the
repatriation of fisheries responsibilities to member states. We
favour national control over fisheries, which conserves stocks as
well as the livelihoods of fishing communities, rather than allowing
factory fishing of our waters by overseas fleets.
While we recognise that international cooperation is required in
the management of fish stocks, conservation is not being achieved in
the CFP. Our maritime neighbours, such as Norway, Iceland and the
Faeroe Islands all operate economically successful and
environmentally sustainable fisheries outside the CFP and local
fishermen benefit from improved financial viability and future
prospects. Scotland can, and should, emulate their success.
Conservation that works Our fishermen will get a fishing
conservation policy that is designed to provide long term
sustainability to the industry and deliver a management regime for
Scottish waters with direct input from both fishing and scientific
stakeholders. Given their knowledge and expertise it is right that
fishermen and other stakeholders should be given a greater say over
the management of our fisheries. Such a fishing conservation policy
will also take into account the demands of a mixed fishery. In
particular we will argue in Europe for the decoupling of cod
management from other species and for sustainable increases in
quotas for other stocks, including the haddock quota.
The SNP will ensure that future marine legislation including
proposed Marine Bills strike a balance between the needs of our
environment and those of sectors such as fisheries that have an
economic stake in our waters. The interests of our fishermen must be
central to any marine strategy. In particular, the SNP will only
support the introduction of closed areas where strong scientific
evidence is presented and following full consultation with all users
including the fishing industry.
The SNP in government will establish a Convention on the Future
of Scotland's Fishing Communities to frame a new fisheries
management regime. We will create a permanent Scottish Fisheries
Council, comprising industry representatives. It will have
sub-committees for each sector and will also act as a ministerial
advisory group. We will work in partnership with the industry to
take forward many of the proposals and aspirations contained in the
recently published Sea Fisheries Strategy. This will be updated as
and when required.
To help attract the crews and skippers of the future, the SNP
Government is consulting the industry on the introduction of a new
entrants scheme.
In government we will work to secure quota allocation from
decommissioned vessels for active vessels. Fishing entitlement will
be allocated only to active fishermen and coastal communities with
historic rights. The SNP opposes the introduction of Individual
Transferable Quotas (ITQS) that would effectively privatise
Scotland's historic fishing rights and result in a break between
activity and communities that have a long-term interest in
sustainability.
We recognise the important contribution increasing stocks within
coastal waters can make to a viable and growing fishing industry and
we will work with industry to put in place best practice, including
support for nursery zones and if appropriate no-fish zones to
support the recovery of coastal stocks following consultation with
the industry.
The industry onshore
The SNP also recognises the importance of the onshore sector. A
Development Plan for the Fish Processing sector and seafood
companies will be published. This will include additional support
for Seafood Scotland and specific marketing support for abundant
supplies such as haddock, shellfish and pelagic species. The
essential role of the on-shore sector including the scores of
companies that congregate around Scotland's harbours will be
recognised and offered tailored support through Scotland's current
Enterprise network. In government we will also support training and
professional development initiatives to help attract and retain deck
hands. Similar initiatives will be made available for other sectors.
The role and remit of existing organisations such as the Sea Fish
Industry Authority will be reviewed.
Aquaculture
The SNP supports the development of fin fish and shellfish
farming. We wish to see the highest quality of product and support
the measures adopted to achieve this in the recent Aquaculture and
Fisheries Act. We are aware of the large numbers of unused licences
that sterilise site and tend to inhibit the entry of new firms,
local firms and organic-based firms to the aquaculture industry. We
will keep in close contact with the needs of the industry to
maintain jobs vital to the economy of remote areas. We recognise the
need to ensure that the industry benefits from smart regulation and
the need to keep bureaucracy to a minimum.
Freshwater fishing
The SNP supports a sustainable and vibrant freshwater fisheries
sector. We will work with anglers and local communities to create a
national freshwater fisheries policy that seeks to protect
biodiversity and our environment as well as enhancing the economic
benefit for our rural economy that results from angling. We will
take forward the work of the Freshwater Fisheries Forum with a view
to modernising the sector's management structures. We support the
view that our rivers should be managed on a catchment area basis
that includes all freshwater stocks.
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