FIRST MINISTER PLEDGES TO WORK ‘CONSTRUCTIVELY’ WITH SCOTTISH FISHING INDUSTRY

First Minister pledges to work constructively with the Scottish Fishing Industry

Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney has told the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) that the Scottish Government is committed to working closely with the fishing industry.

Speaking at the SFF annual dinner at The Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh, he said: “Fishing is an integral part of our coastal communities. I’m also conscious that those who work in the industry face extraordinary risks. I admire and appreciate the sacrifices they make.”

He added that a thriving fishing industry is “essential” to Scotland’s economic success, and he was “committed to engaging constructively and collaboratively with the industry.”

He said that fishing provided vital jobs and food, and noted that that there had been significant improvements in the status of key fish stocks in recent years.

The First Minister said there were four key challenges facing the sector:

• Sectoral Marine Planning – where there was a need for ‘open and candid discussions’.
• Trade – where the difficulties caused by Brexit ‘cannot be under-estimated’.
• Labour supply – where there is the need for more flexible movement to help support businesses and their key worker requirements.
• Offshore renewables – where the challenges of climate change need to be tackled, and where the Scottish Government would work ‘constructively and collaboratively’ with the Scottish fishing industry over fears about potential loss of fishing access.

On the issue of offshore renewables and the potential displacement of fishing activity, SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald reinforced the importance of national food security.

“We need food security as well as energy security and seafood is an excellent source of low-carbon protein,” she said.

She added that there also needed to pragmatic policies to support fishing, rather than additional red-tape, as well as an overall recognition from Government of the important role the industry plays in national food supply.

“We cannot feed the world on just hand-dived scallops, “ she pointed out.

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