Hansard

I thank the cabinet secretary for securing this debate on fishing. I have been asking for such a debate for quite some time; indeed, I issued a press release months ago urging the Parliament to confront head on the challenges for and the future of our fishing industry. I am therefore grateful that, today, we dedicate our time to a sector that is woven into the fabric of who we are as a nation.

Fishing is not merely an industry. Generations have built their lives around the sea, and the sea has shaped the communities that they call home. As we acknowledge that cultural importance, we must also acknowledge the cost. Many members will know families who have lost loved ones at sea—brave men and women taken far too soon. Their sacrifice reminds us that fishing is not a statistic or a policy area; it is a way of life, carried by people whose courage underpins the prosperity of our coastal Scotland.

Despite that, our fishing industry is today under immense economic strain. Scotland has been awarded just £28 million from the UK’s new £360 million fishing and coastal growth fund. That is 7.78 per cent of the total, yet we account for almost half the fishing jobs in the UK, and Scotland-registered vessels contribute more than 60 per cent of the value of all UK landings. The arithmetic speaks for itself—that allocation is not just inadequate; it is fundamentally unfair. I welcome the fact that the cabinet secretary has raised that matter in her motion, and we support that part of the motion. I hope that she will support our amendment, which I will come to later in my speech.

At the moment, £28 million to support our coastal communities each year—to renew fleets, back innovation and invest in the next generation of fishermen—does not come close enough. Perhaps Labour colleagues will bring us the good news that Westminster has heard Scotland’s call and that it will bring a better and fairer offer.

However, funding is only part of the challenge. Out at sea, another pressure is growing fast—that of spatial squeeze. That is a term that many people outside the industry have never heard, yet its consequences will be felt across Scotland. Spatial squeeze happens when competing maritime uses—wind farms, marine protected areas, and new cables and pipelines—tighten the space in which our fishermen can operate. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation has been crystal clear that continued development at the current rate could displace fishing effort to such an extent that the remaining grounds simply cannot absorb the loss.

A joint study by the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations and the SFF outlined scenarios in which the expansion of offshore renewables leads to major reductions in fishing output and substantial job losses, not only on vessels but across entire coastal communities that depend on them.

That is not a theoretical concern: time and again, marine planning decisions proceed without meaningful engagement with those who depend on the sea for their livelihood. Perhaps, in closing, the cabinet secretary could help me understand why there is not fuller discussion with the industry about fair compensation.

I will acknowledge some of the individuals who have helped to shine a light on those issues. They are people who have spent decades advocating for the industry, pushing it forward and ensuring that its stories are heard: Peter Smith of Buckie, an innovator whose adventures aboard the Victory are known in communities across the country; Jim Cowie of Caithness, a merchant, processor, auctioneer, restaurateur and now podcast host whose passion for Scottish seafood has never dimmed; Jimmy Buchan, who needs no introduction and whose life-long dedication to the sector is felt from the deck of the boat to the halls of Government; and Hans Unkles, whose electric boat, the Lorna Jane, shows what innovation in the fleet can truly look like. There are more who I could name, not least the incredible duo of ex-skipper and industry stalwart Ian Gatt and SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald, who I believe are in the gallery today.

Fishermen have highlighted concerns about the relationship between UK and EU vessels in Scottish waters, where rules are not being enforced properly and our own fishermen are losing out because of that. They see the rules being applied lightly to others but heavily to us, along with the consequences of the 12-year deal that allows EU access to UK waters. Many in Scotland’s fleet believe that that deal undermined our negotiating position and their economic future. For them, the deal was a moment of deep frustration.

I turn to our white-fish, demersal sector, where we face another crisis—the ICES zero-catch advice for northern shelf cod, which industry leaders have called outrageous. The Shetland Fishermen’s Association described it as “fleet-ending madness” and it is right to raise the alarm, because cod, haddock, whiting and other species are caught together in mixed fisheries. We cannot simply legislate cod out of the net and it is impossible to eliminate cod bycatch while still catching other species, which means that a blanket ban is not only unworkable but potentially devastating. We need a smarter, more nuanced, evidence-based approach.

Our pelagic fleet faces its own pressures. Cuts to key quotas, especially for mackerel, are projected to hit hard from 2026 onwards. Those cuts will not only impact the catching sector but will hit processors, hauliers and the many coastal businesses that rely on the fleet’s success. I caution the Government that changes to the economic link requirements are not the right answer, which is why it is vital that the fishing industry is properly listened to, not as an observer or a stakeholder but as a primary partner.

I will highlight one positive and forward-looking initiative—the Clyde vision, which is a strategy that provides a comprehensive vision for investment, sustainability and growth in the inshore sector in that region. It deserves to be taken seriously in Government planning, not only as a document but as a road map for real and meaningful development.

When we speak about fishing, we must remember the wider picture, because the industry supports thousands of jobs, contributes millions to our economy, anchors remote and island communities and plays a critical role in domestic food security. It also contributes to the stewardship of our marine environment, because responsible fishing and healthy seas must go hand-in-hand. We must reaffirm, not only in words but in action, our commitment to protecting livelihoods, safeguarding food security and ensuring that fishermen, not distant bureaucracies or competing commercial pressures, are placed at the centre of decision making.

Finally, I turn to the Moray Firth FLOW-Park. Last week, more than 600 people came to my public meetings in Findhorn and Nairn. Their message was simple: they are not opposed to progress, but they want development done properly, at the right time, in the right place and with genuine consideration for livelihoods and local ecology. Many fishermen in Moray feel misled and overlooked. Some have invested heavily to diversify their businesses, build resilience and create jobs but are being asked to sacrifice everything for projects that appear to be rushed and poorly sited and that lack proper engagement. The proposed location for the Moray Firth FLOW-Park covers several protected areas, sits close to a Ramsar site and lies adjacent to a nature reserve. Those are not minor details; they are significant concerns.

We accept the SNP’s wording about fishing, but I ask all parties to stand with us in sending a clear and united message that developments such as the Moray Firth FLOW-Park must not proceed in the wrong place at the wrong time. The message from local people was loud, clear and heartfelt and ignoring it would be an abdication of our responsibility.

Scottish fishing is more than an industry; it is a heritage and a community and is the backbone of our coastal identity. Today, its future is under threat from unfair funding decisions, the spatial squeeze, harsh quota cuts and policies that fail to grasp the realities of life at sea. We must be able to deliver the proper long-term future that fishermen deserve.

I move amendment S6M-19739.2, to insert at end:

“, and opposes the proposed Moray Firth FLOW-Park, which will have a negative impact on the local fishing sector and for which plans have received significant and widespread opposition.”