Meeting of the Parliament 18 November 2025
I am sure that members across the chamber are well aware of my party’s and the Government’s position, which was set out in a series of published papers. When Scotland becomes an independent country, we will rejoin the EU, we will be a key player in our marine environment and we will represent our fisheries sector, unlike the other parties.
As I was saying, it should be noted that the agreement was reached between the UK Labour Government and the EU, with no discussion whatsoever with either the Scottish industry or the Scottish Government.
It gets worse. Members who are present today will be aware of the recent UK Government’s announcement that it intends to allocate just £28 million of the £360 million fishing and coastal growth fund to Scotland. That is nothing short of an insult to our vital fishing industry and coastal communities. The UK Government must reconsider its approach and enter into discussions with devolved Governments and fishing industry leaders to agree a way forward that treats our industries and communities with the respect that they deserve.
The Scottish fishing sector accounts for more than 60 per cent of the UK’s fishing capacity in seafood exports, and more than 75 per cent of all UK quota species are landed by Scottish vessels. To give Scotland a meagre 7.78 per cent of the fishing and coastal growth fund confirms that the UK Government simply does not care about our fishing industry.
On Wednesday 22 October, I wrote to UK ministers to set out our serious concerns with the announced approach. There has been no reply to my letter.
Our position is shared by key Scottish stakeholders, who have written jointly to the UK Government to call for the Scottish seafood industry action group to be reconvened to discuss this urgent issue alongside other concerns. I have written to the UK Government to echo those calls for the action group to be reconvened urgently, but, again, I have received no response. Is it not ironic that a group that was established to deal with the difficulties that the sector faced because of EU exit is once again being called to meet in the light of UK Government choices?
In contrast, this Government will continue to do all that it can, within the powers that we have, to support the fishing industry and coastal communities. We have a strong record of supporting our marine sector through our marine fund Scotland. Since its launch in 2021, the fund has awarded more than £70 million in grants to 390 projects, enabling more than £150 million of investment. We can do much more, but that requires Westminster to listen and act on industry calls for a fair funding settlement.
Our fisheries management strategy is driving innovation and sustainability through measures such as remote electronic monitoring, vessel tracking and the future catching policy. We are also working towards more sustainable inshore fisheries through our inshore fisheries management improvement programme. We want to develop an agile framework for managing our complex inshore fisheries that is more flexible to the changing needs of the marine environment and our fishers and that can more easily deliver regionally distinct fisheries management measures.
Scottish seafood remains among the best in the world, and strengthening the role that it plays in the global market is a key shared goal for Government and industry alike.
Scotland’s fisheries are already heavily regulated, with measures such as quotas, effort controls and technical measures providing a platform for fishing to operate responsibly and sustainably. Scotland’s fishers understand better than anyone the importance of safeguarding our seas for future generations. Their dedication, expertise and innovation are pivotal in delivering sustainable fishing in a healthy marine environment, both now and into the future.
I understand the challenges that are facing the fishing industry and the concerns regarding the increasing pressure on marine space, including from offshore wind. The Government has a fundamental role to play in managing the marine space and in ensuring that the interests of all marine users, including our valued fishing sector, are properly considered. Our sectoral planning process for offshore wind seeks to avoid or minimise negative interactions between offshore wind development, the environment and other marine sectors such as fishing. It is vitally important that we continue to take an evidence-based approach and work together across all sectors to manage our marine space effectively, ensuring that the fishing industry can continue to thrive.