Hansard

I welcome the opportunity to speak about Scotland’s fisheries, particularly given that—as my colleague Beatrice Wishart pointed out—the annual end-of-year fisheries debate has disappeared from the calendar. I urge all parties to come together and reinstate that debate, which would give this crucial topic the public airing that it deserves.

I have met with fishers from Shetland to the west coast and other parts of Scotland’s coast. I have been on board their vessels and have seen with my own eyes the dangers that they face. I am also aware of how fragile the industry is and how it struggles to attract young people.

An annual debate not only allows us to cover those issues; it also allows Parliament to scrutinise the Government’s actions, which have been lacking in recent times. The Government seems to be content to contravene its own policy and legal obligations. For example, MSPs have been told that fisheries management is

“not a national or regional marine planning matter.”—[Written Answers, 19 December 2024; S6W-32232.]

However, the reality is that, under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and the national marine plan, fisheries management is very much in scope.

The Government also has a legal duty to balance the needs of economic actors with those of the environment, communities and other marine users. That makes sense, because neglecting any one of these elements damages the others. However, the Government has been ignoring that legal requirement and has been prioritising the needs of the current extraction-based economy above all else. That approach is not only ruining unique, precious ecosystems along Scotland’s magnificent coastline; it also risks the future of the fishing industry, marine tourism and, by extension, coastal communities.

The failure to view those interests as a single whole has already had a negative impact. Overfishing and harmful fishing practices, as well as a lack of effective marine planning, have led to a drastic decline in fish stocks.

For example, Clyde cod, which was once a staple of west coast chippies, has practically disappeared. A lack of inshore management measures and poor monitoring practices means that the safeguards that are intended to protect the species are all but worthless. Clyde cod continues to be caught as bycatch by trawlers, which means that that unique type of cod has been unable to recover. That type of bad governance has also led to a steep decline in the number of fishers and fishing vessels. The Government’s statistics show that, in 2023, there was an 8 per cent year-on-year reduction in the number of fishers, most of whom—more than 200—were islanders. That is fuelling depopulation in those areas, pulling families apart and damaging our nation’s economy instead of bolstering it.

What can we do about that? Continuing with extraction at all costs is simply not an option if we want our seas and coastal populations to teem with life. What is needed is for the Government to abide by the law and ensure that it is working towards good environmental status whenever it makes marine decisions. We also need joined-up thinking from the Government and the marine directorate that is based on proper engagement with all those who rely on and enjoy our seas.

Inshore management needs urgent reform, marine protected areas need protection and low-impact fishers must be given the support that they need to flourish. Damaging fishing practices need to be halted in areas where they lead to a loss of fish stocks, and the roll-out of remote electronic monitoring measures must be sped up across all fleets.