Meeting of the Parliament 03 December 2015
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 secretary. I thank the cabinet secretary for his detailed and comprehensive account of the range of species and for his forward look to the negotiations. We are able to support the Scottish Government’s motion and the Tory amendment. We would have liked to support the Lib Dem amendment but, unfortunately, it uses the word “substantially” in relation to quota uplifts rather than the word “sustainably”, so we are forced to abstain on that amendment.
At the time of the Paris summit, it is of grave concern that the world’s oceans are not being discussed. I will take a step back from the negotiations and highlight some concerns about that.
In Scotland, we are, in some ways, ahead in focusing on marine climate change, with the national marine plan, its pilot regionalisation and the body of work that is being done across the sector. As members may be aware, in the first report on policy and proposals there was a box on peatlands; now, there is substantial information about Scotland’s commitment to peatlands. In RPP2, there was a box on blue carbon and reference to carbon sinks, and the progress that has been made is encouraging. I hope that, in RPP3, there will be a substantial amount on marine carbon sinks. I seek reassurance on that from the cabinet secretary in his closing remarks.
It is absolutely vital for the future that we focus on the twin concerns of monitoring and addressing the effects of climate change and taking the opportunities that we are increasingly learning about. We must make future commitments here, in Scotland. I will focus closely on marine climate change issues from two perspectives: changing fish stocks and fishing practices.
Research into the migratory pattern of the bluefin tuna cited by Blue Planet Society Marine Conservation says:
“The extent of bluefin distribution is limited by temperature, despite their advanced thermoregulatory capacity.”
However, for the past four years, there have been increased sightings of bluefin tuna off Ireland and Scotland. The research is in its initial stages, but a possible cause that is being explored is that the warming ocean climate is allowing tuna to exploit waters that were too cold previously.
I also recently heard from Claire Nouvian, of Bloom, and Pete Ritchie, of the charity Nourish Scotland, who have shared some challenging research with me. It is a great relief that some fishing practices in other parts of the world and, indeed, in some European waters, do not take place in Scottish waters. One of those practices is deep-sea bottom trawling.
Research by Bloom has shown that deep-water marine life has a long life span, late-life sexual reproductivity, limited plant life for feeding and slow repopulation, and so is vulnerable to extinction from overfishing; that destruction can be discreet—indeed, it is less obvious on soft corals than it is on the closer inshore reefs that we have around Scotland; and that British deep-water fish sequester 1 to 2 million tonnes of carbon a year. Although the research is in its initial stages, I draw it to the attention of those in the chamber and seek reassurance from the cabinet secretary that deep-sea bottom trawling is, indeed, not happening around our Scottish waters.
The evidence shows the importance of building incrementally the research base in relation to marine ecosystems. Is funding secure for Marine Scotland? Are we sure that we are auditing what future skills base is needed? Are the links with academic research, which is so robust, strongly bonded and nurtured by the Scottish Government?
The evidence of the damage caused by deep-sea bottom fishing and the tentative findings of research into changes in the migratory patterns of bluefin tuna show the need for collaboration and funding. As all of us taking part in this debate are keenly aware, fish do not know the boundaries of territorial waters.
The stark reality of the film “The End of the Line”, which some members may know, and the repercussions of global overfishing of species are certainly not lost on anyone.