Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 11 December 2018
11 Dec 2018 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Fisheries Negotiations
The Green amendment allows me to return to a subject that I spoke about in last year’s debate, which is the urgent need for the full tracking and monitoring of our fishing fleet.
In the past month alone, two incidents of illegal scallop dredging—in Loch Gairloch and Wester Ross—have caused untold devastation to our marine ecosystems. The Firth of Lorn was subject to similar destructive dredging in February, and few of us can forget the shocking footage that we saw last year of the decimated sea bed of Loch Carron, which forced emergency action by the Scottish Government to protect our precious flame shell reefs. We know that it is a tiny minority of the fishing sector that engages in that illegal activity, but every time that an incident is reported, the public lose a little more faith, and the environmental and scientific communities rightly question the commitment to protecting our seas.
We have to think urgently about implementing a full and comprehensive monitoring scheme for our fishing fleet in order to build confidence in the sector while addressing the pressing issues faced by our fish stocks and our ecology.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-15096, in the name of Fergus Ewing, on sea fisheries and end-of-year negotiations. 14:16
The Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy (Fergus Ewing)
SNP
It is a privilege once again to represent the fishing industry ahead of this year’s December council. I reiterate my admiration and respect for the fishing ...
Peter Chapman (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with the fishing industry this year. I am pleased to speak on its behalf in this important debate, to open for...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
Peter Chapman talks about foreign vessels coming into our waters. Is not that exactly the situation that the French faced this year, with the Scottish fleet ...
Peter Chapman
Con
Our fishermen were completely in the right in that argument. The French were not supposed to be fishing in those waters, whereas we were allowed to do so. To...
Dr Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
SNP
I am sure that Peter Chapman has, as I have done in my part of Scotland, spoken to fish processing firms. Has he not noticed that, above all their other conc...
Peter Chapman
Con
The workforce is absolutely an issue. However, the decline has been going on for nearly 10 years, which is long before anyone ever spoke about Brexit, so the...
The Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment (Mairi Gougeon)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Peter Chapman
Con
I have taken two already, so I will not. It has been blatantly obvious to us all that the SNP Government has used the Brexit vote as a weapon to build more ...
Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Aye? Laughter.
Peter Chapman
Con
The deal is not perfect, but it is the only game in town, and it is pragmatic and workable. Our fishermen will never forget and will never forgive the SNP if...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
I was going to try very hard to avoid mentioning Brexit, but given that Peter Chapman did not amend his speech in the light of the fact that there is to be n...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
The Green amendment allows me to return to a subject that I spoke about in last year’s debate, which is the urgent need for the full tracking and monitoring ...
Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (LD)
LD
Given that the member has said that the illegal activity is engaged in by only a tiny minority of the fishing sector, why does he think that it is important ...
Mark Ruskell
Green
It is true that that activity is undertaken by only a small minority, but the proposal is not only about monitoring and compliance, but about data gathering ...
Peter Chapman
Con
The member’s amendment speaks about monitoring and policing the Scottish fleet. Why does he not think that there is a need to monitor and police the EU fleet?
Mark Ruskell
Green
That is a good point, and something that could be taken forward through further reform of the CFP. Of course, we will not be in the CFP, because we will be t...
Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
With a week to go before the December EU fisheries council negotiations and with the EU-Faroes bilateral negotiations taking place as we speak, today’s debat...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
I did a quick sum before the debate: I think that this is my 11th or 12th speech on fisheries negotiations since becoming a member. Each year’s negotiations ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
I call Edward Mountain, to be followed by Alasdair Allan. Mr Mountain, dinna fash yersel—you can have up to 7 minutes, or even a wee bit more. There is time ...
Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Presiding Officer, you are so generous. Thank you. Another year end and another annual debate on next year’s European fishing quotas. This year’s EU-Norway ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
He did not even use the extra time. I cannot please you, no matter what I do, Mr Mountain. 15:14
Dr Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
SNP
As other members have mentioned, this year’s European fisheries talks have been somewhat overshadowed by European negotiations of a different kind and by the...
Edward Mountain
Con
The European judgment said that we would need to rejoin the EU under the same terms and conditions. Does that not mean that we would need to go back under th...
Dr Allan
SNP
If we choose not to leave the European Union, the court’s ruling makes it clear that we would stay in on our current terms. I have never expressed any affect...
Peter Chapman
Con
Does the member not accept that we have made it abundantly clear at every opportunity and on every occasion that we will not link access to our waters to the...
Dr Allan
SNP
There is certainly room for more than some ambiguity about that. The wording of the political declaration makes it abundantly clear that a link is being made...
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The turmoil around Brexit will be deeply concerning to the many people who live and work around our coasts and are involved not only in the fishing industry ...
Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
SNP
The first time that I took part in this end-of-term December debate on the fisheries negotiations was in 2006, which is the year that I came into the Parliam...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Excuse me a minute, Ms Watt. I cannot hear anything that you are saying because of Mr Chapman. Please stop; I would like to hear Ms Watt.