Hansard

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 am quite surprised that the member felt it necessary to intervene on that basis.

International collaborations are essential, too. Will the cabinet secretary clarify whether the Scottish Government is contributing to any international or regional forums on marine climate change? Is it working with different countries either by itself or as part of the United Kingdom? If not, will he agree to investigate the possibilities of taking forward that imperative?

Scottish Labour is clear that sustainable development is the key to ensuring that Scottish waters are healthy waters. Through the fusing of the economic, the social and the environmental, we can contribute to the best possible outcomes for now and for the future. The challenges that that approach poses do not have simple answers, as the cabinet secretary has stressed. However, it is clear that through strong partnerships at all levels and a determination to work together, we are moving towards, as I would put it, a future positive.

Turning to the socioeconomic issues, I believe that the everyday challenges faced by those in the fishing industry are manifold. At sea, in rapidly changeable weather, they have to consider health and safety issues, and, just like any other business, they must keep accounts and make decisions on forward planning.

Fishermen often live in fragile coastal communities where there is the added complexity of the social structures as well as issues with what else underpins those communities—transport services, broadband access and broader infrastructure.

There are also the pressures on the processing industry and the threat to job security, not least because of the changing patterns of catches. Development of the landing obligation is essential, as the cabinet secretary said, and as the motion and the amendments reflect.

I understand that the European maritime and fisheries fund is intended to have a broader scope than did past arrangements. Marine Scotland has said:

“It has a greater focus than before on measures which can support the management and protection of the marine environment.”

That is essential.

I welcome the landing obligation and its gradual implementation. It is a significant step in the enhancement and preservation of our seas as a sustainably bountiful resource. Scottish fishermen must be commended and thanked for their dedicated efforts in adapting to the pelagic discard ban so far this year. As we approach the next phase, the challenges are undeniable, and I wish the cabinet secretary success in negotiating the maximum sustainable catching opportunity, as hoped for by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.

My colleague Graeme Pearson will discuss further the implementation and monitoring of the obligation, but I call on the Scottish Government to commit to evaluating a cost-effective approach to monitoring and enforcement. I thank the SFF and the Scottish White Fish Producers Association for their ready information and guidance on the matter.

The industry, environmentalists and foodies alike will rejoice as cod hits the highest recommended catch level for 15 years, although I listened with concern to what the cabinet secretary said about the complications of the cod recovery plan. The picture on other species is mixed.

In our amendment, we highlight the need to support the implementation of the landing obligation. Will the cabinet secretary explain specifically how the EMFF will aid a smooth transition for the communities that need it most in that complex development? How widely will the fund and application process be promoted and advertised?

The cabinet secretary touched briefly on regionalisation. I wonder if he might say a little bit more about that in his closing speech. In previous years’ debates, it has been a large point of discussion and it would be helpful to hear something of an update on it, too.

I move amendment S4M-15031.3, to insert after first “stocks”:

“; believes that sustainable development should be at the heart of all marine and fisheries policies; further believes that sea fisheries must be managed holistically with a sustainable ecosystem approach that takes into account the marine biodiversity and climate change challenges that Scotland faces to ensure healthy Scottish waters; supports the research and monitoring work of Marine Scotland and its partners, including the fishing industry, in developing scientific evidence for the implementation of the discard ban and for sustainable and profitable fisheries in the future; calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that this work is adequately funded; notes that the new European Maritime Fisheries Fund is designed to help fishermen in any transition period, support coastal communities in diversifying their economies and finance new coastal projects and encourages the widest possible consultation on its guidelines”.