SUSTAINABILITY AS A WAY OF LIFE NOT JUST A CATCHPHRASE STATES THE SFF

Sustainability as a way of life, not just a catchphrase states the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation on deal between SNP and Green Party

Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the SFF, said: “The Scottish fishing industry is already climate-smart, producing highly nutritious protein food with a much lower carbon footprint than meat and even most vegetables. 

“Clearly it will take time to work through all the detail of this agreement, but we have been working with the Scottish Government for many years on marine conservation, having been fully committed to processes that depend upon robust evidence and sound science. It is essential that such approaches continue in future. It will be essential to see the full and cumulative economic impact assessment of any new measures on our fishing communities.

“This is an industry that regards sustainability as a way of life, not just a catchphrase, because the livelihoods of skippers and their crew depend upon healthy fish stocks and healthy fish stocks depend upon biodiverse and productive ecosystems.

“There are policies here that will inevitably impact on our industry and on how we produce our climate-smart food. We want to be engaged with ministers and civil servants on the detail as soon as possible so that we can share our knowledge on how to achieve common goals while still maintaining a healthy sector.” 

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