SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT GIVES COMMITMENT TO COLLABORATE WITH INDUSTRY

Mairi Gougeon, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, has pledged to work with the Scottish fishing industry to ensure the sector thrives into the future.

Speaking at the opening of Scottish Skipper Expo 2024 she said the Scottish Government was committed to work with the fishing industry to tackle the challenges that lay ahead. She said the Government recognised how important the sector was in ensuring food security and supporting coastal communities.

She added that lessons had been learned from the Highly Protected Marine Area proposals that were eventually scrapped last year after widespread opposition from fishing communities and others.

“The Scottish Government has a strong record of supporting the industry and that support will continue,” she said, and added:  “We want to collaborate with the SFF more and there is a mood in Government to collaborate.”

At the same event, Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said there was a concern in the ‘industry’ about signs of a dilution of support from the Scottish Government in marine scientific support. Science, and collaboration with industry on science projects was essential to ensure better understanding of stock dynamics and the implementation of sensible management measures, she said.