Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 10 December 2013
10 Dec 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Fisheries Negotiations
I enjoy the annual opportunity to participate in this debate, with its traditional role of sending the minister off to the European fisheries negotiation with the full weight of parliamentary support behind him. I hope that we continue to do that in the way in which this debate is conducted.
I recognise a number of issues from participation in earlier such debates. We have been talking about the minister’s strong belief in regional management for a long time. I am sure that he well remembers—I certainly do—that, more than a dozen years ago, as the convener of the Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee at the time, I attended the publication in Brussels of the European green paper that originally proposed regional management committees. Of course, in the end, we got regional advisory committees.
Often, the opportunity for regional management is held up as a tempting and tantalising promise for the future. I hope that, on this occasion, the minister manages to succeed in achieving it.
A series of issues must be addressed in this round of negotiations. The minister has gone through them in significant detail, but the most profound objective is the move towards a discard ban. The plans are in place and they must be achieved.
Our fishermen should be commended for the work that they have done over many years in ensuring a reduction in wasted effort—they took more than their fair share in ensuring that—and in the number of discards, by applying technology to ensure that smaller fish were not caught at all. Through that sustainability, we have seen significant improvements in the level of stocks in the North Sea. I am particularly taken by the fact that cod numbers are on the rise once again because, in the time that this Parliament has existed, there has been considerable effort to ensure that cod recovery took place.
While this negotiation goes forward, it is important to note that there have been a number of delays. The fact that the talks with Norway will continue into the new year is not a unique situation but one that will delay the delivery of proper outcomes.
On that subject, a couple of issues have been raised with me in order that I might discuss them with the cabinet secretary. We heard extensively from Claire Baker about the problems facing the pelagic fishery and in particular about the mackerel stock in the North Atlantic. I ask the cabinet secretary to give an assurance that any future deal on mackerel, first of all will involve Norway—because, in my view, without Norway’s involvement we will not have a deal—and, secondly, will not result in Iceland in any way gaining access to EU waters. If we are to continue as part of a common fisheries policy, it is important that we have control over resources locally wherever possible. Any extension of access to EU waters, particularly our waters, would have the opposite effect.
A number of issues are crucial to the success of these negotiations but many of them are simply part of the process of progressing from where we were the year before. As the cabinet secretary said, last year was a good year: we saw limited reductions in quota and stability for our fishermen.
However, as we saw with the scare over falling nephrops numbers, things can change from one season to the next. It is important that we get a future for our fishing industry that will deliver confidence, continuity and sustainability in the long term. As I said at the start, it is for that reason that I believe that the cabinet secretary has set out the appropriate way forward in European negotiations. I hope that he, along with his UK counterparts, will be able to go to Brussels and ensure that Scotland’s two Governments, working hand in hand, deliver for Scotland’s fishing communities.
I move amendment S4M-08450.2, to insert at end:
“, and urges the Scottish Government to continue to work closely with the UK Government and the fishing community to secure the future viability of Scotland’s fishing industry”.
16:02
I recognise a number of issues from participation in earlier such debates. We have been talking about the minister’s strong belief in regional management for a long time. I am sure that he well remembers—I certainly do—that, more than a dozen years ago, as the convener of the Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee at the time, I attended the publication in Brussels of the European green paper that originally proposed regional management committees. Of course, in the end, we got regional advisory committees.
Often, the opportunity for regional management is held up as a tempting and tantalising promise for the future. I hope that, on this occasion, the minister manages to succeed in achieving it.
A series of issues must be addressed in this round of negotiations. The minister has gone through them in significant detail, but the most profound objective is the move towards a discard ban. The plans are in place and they must be achieved.
Our fishermen should be commended for the work that they have done over many years in ensuring a reduction in wasted effort—they took more than their fair share in ensuring that—and in the number of discards, by applying technology to ensure that smaller fish were not caught at all. Through that sustainability, we have seen significant improvements in the level of stocks in the North Sea. I am particularly taken by the fact that cod numbers are on the rise once again because, in the time that this Parliament has existed, there has been considerable effort to ensure that cod recovery took place.
While this negotiation goes forward, it is important to note that there have been a number of delays. The fact that the talks with Norway will continue into the new year is not a unique situation but one that will delay the delivery of proper outcomes.
On that subject, a couple of issues have been raised with me in order that I might discuss them with the cabinet secretary. We heard extensively from Claire Baker about the problems facing the pelagic fishery and in particular about the mackerel stock in the North Atlantic. I ask the cabinet secretary to give an assurance that any future deal on mackerel, first of all will involve Norway—because, in my view, without Norway’s involvement we will not have a deal—and, secondly, will not result in Iceland in any way gaining access to EU waters. If we are to continue as part of a common fisheries policy, it is important that we have control over resources locally wherever possible. Any extension of access to EU waters, particularly our waters, would have the opposite effect.
A number of issues are crucial to the success of these negotiations but many of them are simply part of the process of progressing from where we were the year before. As the cabinet secretary said, last year was a good year: we saw limited reductions in quota and stability for our fishermen.
However, as we saw with the scare over falling nephrops numbers, things can change from one season to the next. It is important that we get a future for our fishing industry that will deliver confidence, continuity and sustainability in the long term. As I said at the start, it is for that reason that I believe that the cabinet secretary has set out the appropriate way forward in European negotiations. I hope that he, along with his UK counterparts, will be able to go to Brussels and ensure that Scotland’s two Governments, working hand in hand, deliver for Scotland’s fishing communities.
I move amendment S4M-08450.2, to insert at end:
“, and urges the Scottish Government to continue to work closely with the UK Government and the fishing community to secure the future viability of Scotland’s fishing industry”.
16:02
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-08540, in the name of Richard Lochhead, on the end-year fisheries negotiations.15:39
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment (Richard Lochhead)
SNP
We meet after what has been another eventful year for our important fishing industry.We started this year by breathing a sigh of relief after the negotiation...
Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
Will the cabinet secretary update the Parliament on the status of the European Union-Norway talks?
Richard Lochhead
SNP
Yes. I will come on to that very important point on the shared stocks between the EU and Norway if the member will just hold on.I mentioned that the first ro...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome today’s debate in advance of the end-of-year fishing negotiations. It gives us the opportunity to speak in the interests of Scottish fishing and to...
Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I enjoy the annual opportunity to participate in this debate, with its traditional role of sending the minister off to the European fisheries negotiation wit...
Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
The EU fisheries talks next week may not agree much. The continuing failure of international discussions involving the EU, Norway, the Faroes and Iceland wil...
Angus MacDonald (Falkirk East) (SNP)
SNP
One thing that can definitely be agreed by all interested parties is that there is a general consensus that cod stocks are recovering in the North Sea. That ...
Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
There are wide areas of agreement on many aspects of the negotiations and it is right that the members who lodged the motion and amendments have highlighted ...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
PG Wodehouse used to have Bertie Wooster insist that Jeeves had some fish when a particularly knotty problem had to be dealt with, so I naturally had fish fo...
Christian Allard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I declare an interest, in that I have worked for the past 20 years in the Scottish fishing industry in Aberdeen, in North East Scotland, the region that I ha...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
As a member for North East Scotland, I am glad to speak in the debate and to support the Labour amendment. The common fisheries policy was set up to address ...
Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
SNP
I am pleased to take part in the debate. The end-year fishing negotiations are vital to many communities that I and many other members represent. The Scottis...
Tavish Scott
LD
Alex Johnstone started his contribution by saying that this annual debate is Parliament’s way of sending off the minister with great support. It did not alwa...
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Tavish Scott
LD
I will just finish my point. Monkfish is the most valuable species to the Shetland fleet, being worth approximately £4 million out of the £60 million of fish...
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
Like those of Tavish Scott, my constituents are heavily dependent on the fishing industry. I wonder whether, in light of the fact that our minister is one of...
Tavish Scott
LD
I do not in any way doubt the cabinet secretary’s involvement or his expertise, as he has taken part for many years. However, my knowledge of the process has...
Alex Fergusson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Con
Presiding Officer, I sometimes think that we ought to recall Parliament on Christmas day to hold this debate, such is the degree of good will that emanates f...
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
This time last year I stood in the chamber to debate the annual EU fisheries negotiations, and I expressed concerns about the state of our shared European fi...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Before I call the cabinet secretary to close the debate, I once again remind members that the debates this afternoon are on a follow-on basis. Members who wi...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
Once again, this has been a helpful and useful debate prior to the end-of-year bun fight that takes place in Brussels every December. These annual fisheries ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Eight minutes.
Richard Lochhead
SNP
Okay. Eight more minutes or eight minutes altogether?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Eight minutes in total.
Richard Lochhead
SNP
Thank you.The talks between the EU and Norway are therefore crucial; let me now turn to members’ comments on the cod recovery plan. Lewis Macdonald made a ve...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
The cabinet secretary will be well aware that, in going into negotiations, the more priorities that one has, the weaker one’s position. A number of members h...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
I am happy to confirm that, as I alluded to in my opening remarks, I will not support any deal that leads to any cut in days at sea for the Scottish fleet. I...