Hansard

I remind members that I worked for 30 years in the Scottish fishing industry before I started in a new career as an MSP, which has a lot fewer challenges and is a lot less dangerous. I hope that we can all agree on that.

I am honoured to have represented the many fishing communities in the north-east since May 2013. We in Parliament do not always give credit, or as much credit, as we could to an industry that has served Scotland for so long. Let us take an example. Today and for many weeks, we have heard about the desperate state of our steel industry and the 400 jobs that are at risk in communities in Motherwell and Cambuslang. We have heard a lot about the iconic steel industry, but I have still to hear a contribution in this debate about the fishing industry being an iconic industry for Scotland. More than 600 jobs are at risk across only one small community in the north-east—in Fraserburgh.

Two years ago, in the Government’s annual sea fisheries and end-year negotiations debate, I called for more common sense and flexibility in dealing with discards of spurdogs. Last year, I made a similar call to address the problem of closures of the skate and ray fisheries in the north-east and west of Scotland. There will be a lot more by-catch landing of those species next year. I know that the cabinet secretary has worked hard to help the commercialisation of by-catch in the past few years. I ask him to redouble his efforts in ensuring that that fantastic food is not wasted any longer.

Food waste is our next biggest challenge. Let us start here; let us not wait for some television chef to ask consumers to choose imported food instead of our locally produced seafood. This year, we are celebrating the increase of many of Scotland’s key stocks, including North Sea cod, which is at its highest level in a decade. Although skippers have known about that for a decade, it took us a long time in Parliament to acknowledge the fact that there are many more fish in our seas. That is thanks to the hard work of our fishermen, the resilience of our fish processors and the actions of the cabinet secretary, who is the most experienced fishing minister in the EU.

The Smith commission was very clear when it said that Scottish Government representation of the UK to the European Union can be achieved by

“presuming that a devolved administration Minister can speak on behalf of the UK at a meeting of the Council of Ministers according to an agreed UK negotiating line where the devolved administration Minister holds the predominant policy interest across the UK and where the relevant lead UK Government Minister is unable to attend all or part of a meeting.”

There should be no more lords representing the Scottish fishing industry. However, I would wait before celebrating. Time will tell whether the voice of the most experienced fishing minister in Europe can be discarded and replaced by that of an unelected lord with no previous experience in fishing whatsoever. The most appropriate person must always take the chair and speak.

The future is bright for the industry, and 2016 will prove to be a milestone for Scottish fishing, with the launch of the ban on discards for white fish and prawn stocks. The discard ban is indeed a no-brainer. It is a challenge in our waters, with mixed fisheries, and it is also a fantastic opportunity for our fishermen and fish processors to increase the Scottish-fish share of the seafood market both at home and abroad.

I agree with the cabinet secretary that we must focus all our efforts on our national interest and on the continuing success of our Scottish fishing communities. Like Stewart Stevenson, I did not receive briefings for the debate from many of the organisations from which I usually get them; for example, I got a briefing last year from the Scottish Pelagic Processors Association, but not this year. However, I met Ian Gatt and Ian McFadden from the SPPA a few weeks ago and I congratulated them on how the pelagic sector—fishermen and processors—worked to tackle successfully the discard ban that was in force in January, and the Russian food embargo.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation must be delighted with the work of the cabinet secretary, because I did not get a briefing from it, either. I know that some other members said that they asked for a briefing and got one. However, I am not in the habit of disturbing Mr Bertie Armstrong when he is on his way to travel the world. I would have thought that the SFF, with the amount of funding that it has—funding which matches that of a lot of non-governmental organisations—could just send that briefing to everybody. It would be much easier for us and it would make life a lot easier for the SFF, too. Perhaps we can take that proposal to Bertie Armstrong and Ross Dougal.

The WWF has provided a briefing—it always does—but I will not talk about it. Usually, I let Labour talk about the WWF, but as Jamie McGrigor was ready to be the voice of the WWF today, I let the Tories talk about it.

I share the cabinet secretary’s frustration that the UK Government has thus far denied Scotland a say over the seafood levy-raising powers of Seafish. He is right—that was one of the key recommendations of the Smith commission. The UK Government must reconsider. Full devolution of seafood levies has to happen now; if not, Seafish may have no future in Scotland. I am delighted that the Devolution (Further Powers) Committee made that point in this Parliament in May. The committee report added that it is important that Scotland has the ability to introduce an EU-recognised “Made in Scotland” label; it is an important label.

I heard something about the haulage industry from a couple of members—Tavish Scott and Angus MacDonald—so I remind the cabinet secretary of the problem at Calais. I urge the cabinet secretary to stop in Calais on his way to Brussels and to support our haulage drivers who get stuck there from time to time.