Future of Scottish fishing
16/01/2009
2008 was a groundbreaking year for our fishing fleet. We worked with the industry to implement the historic deal which brought back to Scotland a degree of fisheries management, enabling us to pioneer our own days at sea regime. We also had to pull together in response to soaring fuel prices, with the Scottish Government making nearly £29 million available to boost fuel efficiency and make the industry more profitable in the longer term.
And in such a tough economic climate, 2009 promises to be even more challenging, but once again we will be with our fishermen every step of the way. This Government is determined to do all it can to support businesses and individuals through difficult economic times. The fishing deal achieved at December Council will deliver economy benefits for the whole of Scotland and prevent huge economic dislocation on the west coast notwithstanding the significant challenges particularly on the west coast.
I am extremely proud that the Scottish sector continues to show leadership in Europe by rising to the challenge of ensuring sustainable fisheries - leading the debate and offering solutions. This approach and 'can do' attitude played a key role in securing such a positive outcome at the recent fisheries negotiations in Brussels.
Fishing is part of the social fabric of Scotland defining many communities and representing a rich heritage. Tens of thousands of jobs are sustained by the industry making it an important part of our economic fabric as well. Scottish landings are worth about £350 million to our economy. When European proposals threatened to close down our west coast fishing grounds and cause untold damage to jobs, lives and communities, we refused to buckle and brought forward a more sophisticated plan which strikes the right balance between the future of the fishing industry and the future of our fish stocks.
Of course some of the alternative conservation measures that were agreed will be tough to implement for some vessels, but overall we have much to welcome. Importantly, for Scotland's top five commercial stocks, fishermen will be able to catch more than or the same as last year. Our prawn fleet - our most valuable sector with landings of £100 million - and our haddock fleet will be able to land the same amount of fish as last year. And North Sea cod quotas are up 30 per cent - a 20-year record - while mackerel is up 33 per cent. On the west coast monkfish quota is up eight per cent.
Crucially, none of this is at the expense of the environment. By pioneering ground-breaking conservation measures, including a radical reduction in the scourge of discards, we are ensuring our fisheries are not only economically viable but sustainable too.
We have shown that when fishing is made a priority we can achieve results. And when we are given some responsibility for fisheries management as we were last year in relation to days at sea, we can develop trail blazing conservation schemes that other countries are now adopting.
So as we head into 2009 we have achieved a number of important breakthroughs but also face some new challenges. There are undoubtedly still some tough times ahead as the fleet adapts to these new measures but overall we should be proud of the fact that we stood up for Scotland and our fishing communities.
'Land more and catch less' is our guiding principle this year, focusing on what we remove from the sea rather than what is landed ashore. We must think not only of the needs of today's fishermen but also of those to come. Future arrangements governing our fishing rights are critical, and it is important that we put in place quota and licensing measures to help safeguard these rights. I was pleased with the support for our proposals for future quota and licensing arrangements in Scotland. I will very shortly be setting out in detail our response to the consultation, and following a further short period of consultation, a final decision on the way forward will be made. This work will be taken forward with stakeholders to help ensure we have fisheries management arrangements that are best for Scotland's fishing industry and communities.
At the tail end of last year we also reached agreement for Scotland to take the lead for nature conservation and marine planning out to 200 miles. This will mean a more joined up system of marine planning within the UK, while respecting different constitutional responsibilities.
What we have achieved in recent times is the start of something better. We have laid important foundations for a sustainable future. We have prioritised communities, working with people across Scotland to put the needs of our vulnerable fishing communities at the heart of our agenda.
Our joint aim must be to ensure sea fishing is an increasingly successful part of Scotland's food and drink industry. Adding value is not just about landing more fish. It's about finding and keeping new markets, and impressing upon consumers across the world that our nation's product is healthy and of outstanding quality. In the current economic climate, a secure future for this vital industry has never been more important.