Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 10 December 2013
10 Dec 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Fisheries Negotiations
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 taught me—I am sure that Stewart Stevenson, who like me is an ex-minister, will accept this—that it is the bilaterals that matter. The work that matters, and of which Richard Lochhead has huge experience, is not in the Council chamber. We may make a big song and dance about that aspect, but the reality of European negotiations is about the people whom one talks to in the coffee room—I shall keep it at that—and the agreements or near agreements that one can come to there.
I would like to make two other points about observations that colleagues across the chamber have made. First, we have talked the talk on discards, but if we look at the Norwegian experience of a discard policy we see that it is anything but a discard policy. The Norwegians describe their fishing approach as one where they have banned discards, but if we look closely at it, as I am sure the cabinet secretary has, we find that there are areas in which they have a discard ban and that they also have what is in my view an enlightened policy that recognises their white-fish industry’s needs and its catch in a mixed fishery.
That relates to the one point that I would make about Stewart Stevenson’s earlier remarks about our industry volunteering for selective gear. I am sure that, like me, he would recognise from his own constituency that when our boats were asked to put cameras on board it was because there were more days to achieve from that policy. The industry was not exactly ecstatic about it—I am sure that Mr Stevenson had the same kind of conversation on the pier as I did—so we should be careful what we say about the balance between our industry moving forward on selective gear and the reality that it has been forced to do so because that is the nature of the requirement.
My final point is on the north-east Atlantic mackerel situation, and I am grateful to other colleagues who have mentioned that. It is tied to white-fish stocks for the first time in our observations on those matters, and I wish the minister well in untangling a difficult knot.
16:37
I would like to make two other points about observations that colleagues across the chamber have made. First, we have talked the talk on discards, but if we look at the Norwegian experience of a discard policy we see that it is anything but a discard policy. The Norwegians describe their fishing approach as one where they have banned discards, but if we look closely at it, as I am sure the cabinet secretary has, we find that there are areas in which they have a discard ban and that they also have what is in my view an enlightened policy that recognises their white-fish industry’s needs and its catch in a mixed fishery.
That relates to the one point that I would make about Stewart Stevenson’s earlier remarks about our industry volunteering for selective gear. I am sure that, like me, he would recognise from his own constituency that when our boats were asked to put cameras on board it was because there were more days to achieve from that policy. The industry was not exactly ecstatic about it—I am sure that Mr Stevenson had the same kind of conversation on the pier as I did—so we should be careful what we say about the balance between our industry moving forward on selective gear and the reality that it has been forced to do so because that is the nature of the requirement.
My final point is on the north-east Atlantic mackerel situation, and I am grateful to other colleagues who have mentioned that. It is tied to white-fish stocks for the first time in our observations on those matters, and I wish the minister well in untangling a difficult knot.
16:37
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...