Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 03 December 2015
03 Dec 2015 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Fisheries Negotiations
All that I can say to Mr Stevenson is that I phoned up Bertie Armstrong, and I went to meet the Shetland Fishermen’s Association. I assume that a member such as Stewart Stevenson, who, as a former minister, is very familiar with the industry, is quite capable of running along to the SFF’s offices in Aberdeen and meeting its members.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
The next item of business is the annual debate on fisheries negotiations. We will debate motion S4M-15031, in the name of Richard Lochhead, on sea fisheries ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment (Richard Lochhead)
SNP
This year, of all years, feels particularly pivotal as we debate the annual fishing negotiations. At the end of the year, it is always useful to reflect on t...
Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
On the cabinet secretary’s comment about wrangles in Brussels, they sure do matter, as he well knows. The cabinet secretary will be aware that next week cru...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
Tavish Scott has quite rightly highlighted the importance of those talks, and we will be ensuring that Scotland gets a fair and just deal on access and quota...
Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Will the cabinet secretary tell me the current position in the European Union-Norway talks on western herring?
Richard Lochhead
SNP
I am happy to update the member on that after the debate because, clearly, a number of interacting issues will be under negotiation in those talks. Western h...
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to speak in the sea fisheries and end-of-year negotiations debate for the fourth year—I have been doing so not quite as long as the cabinet secr...
Christian Allard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
We are five minutes into the member’s speech and I have not yet heard anything about the Scottish fishing industry or the end-of-year negotiations.
Claudia Beamish
Lab
As I made quite clear at the beginning of my speech, I intend to move to those topics. I am dealing with the global context in which we must all operate. I a...
Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank all the organisations that provided briefings in advance of the debate. I am pleased that many of the key fish stocks that are important to Scotland...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
Will Jamie McGrigor give way?
Jamie McGrigor
Con
I will make a little bit of progress, if I may. We must be clear that the recovery in cod and other fish stocks is down to the sacrifices of Scottish fisher...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
I realise that there is some heated debate on that issue, but will Jamie McGrigor accept that Faroese access to Scottish waters was reduced from 42 per cent ...
Jamie McGrigor
Con
I suspect that that is the truth, but if we think about what the Faroese caught before 2005, we are talking about a huge impact on our industry. Another key...
Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
If that was Jamie McGrigor’s last speech in Parliament on fisheries, we will all miss his contributions. Richard Lochhead might remember the sketches that Ra...
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
Tavish Scott referred to the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation’s concerns. Is he aware of any briefing from the SFF? As yet, I have had zero contact on the sub...
Tavish Scott
LD
All that I can say to Mr Stevenson is that I phoned up Bertie Armstrong, and I went to meet the Shetland Fishermen’s Association. I assume that a member such...
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
They will not give me meetings.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
Order, please.
Tavish Scott
LD
It is up to Mr Stevenson how he engages with the industry; I certainly do not have any problems on that front. I regularly speak to Bertie Armstrong, who doe...
Angus MacDonald (Falkirk East) (SNP)
SNP
It is that time of year again when we get that feeling of déjà vu and are back once more at the fishing negotiations debate. Every year, the UK fisheries neg...
Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
It is pleasing to hear the cabinet secretary comment on the many positive developments in this area of activity. In reply to Stewart Stevenson’s observation...
Christian Allard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I remind members that I worked for 30 years in the Scottish fishing industry before I started in a new career as an MSP, which has a lot fewer challenges and...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
You must close, please.
Christian Allard
SNP
In conclusion, I would like to make a call to people in the gallery and across Scotland: we must all put pressure like never before on our retailers to put S...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Thank you. I must ask members to keep to six minutes or just over. I do not have an awful lot of time in hand. 15:58
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
As I always do at the start of debates on our fishing industry, I pay tribute to all of Scotland’s fishermen, who risk their lives daily in braving the condi...
Christian Allard
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Margaret McDougall
Lab
I am happy to take a short intervention.
Christian Allard
SNP
Thank you. I pointed out to WWF last week that it would be of benefit if it, as a worldwide organisation, pushed other countries to have the same kind of res...