Chamber
Plenary, 05 Mar 2003
05 Mar 2003 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Subordinate Legislation
Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) (Scotland) Scheme 2003<br />Sea Fishing (Transitional Support) (Scotland) (No 2) Scheme 2003
In the short time that the Presiding Officer's announcement gave me, I added a little theological content to my speech, so that members will not feel deprived.
I invite the Parliament to approve the statutory instruments, which will enable the Scottish ministers to launch a decommissioning scheme and a transitional support scheme for the Scottish white-fish sector. Before I deal with the instruments, I will make preliminary remarks on two matters.
First, it is important for members to be informed that progress is being made on negotiating more flexible arrangements than those that are contained in the now infamous annexe XVII of the total allowable catch and quota regulation. Members will recall that when John Farnell of the European Commission gave evidence to the Rural Development Committee, he made it clear that the Commission would propose amendments to the annexe and that it would make proposals—we hope that it will do so later this month—for a more sensible successor regime.
We have worked hard with the Commission and made it clear that greater economic and commercial flexibility is needed. We hope that adjustments to annexe XVII will emerge later this month. We understand from our most recent discussions that they will include some additional flexibilities for which we have asked—particularly on the key issue of vessel safety, which I debated yesterday with Fergus Ewing and about which we have all been most concerned. We also expect to hear about the Commission's thinking on a successor regime at a seminar that it has organised for 11 March.
This morning, there is no point in speculating about the detail of either potential proposal, but they are at least a start and indicate that the Commission understands the need for greater economic and commercial flexibility. That is directly relevant to the debate. Under annexe XVII, the benefits of decommissioning are partly frustrated by the industry's limited ability to acquire additional days at sea from other boats. The signal is that the Commission is beginning to understand that. There is a real prospect of securing more sensible arrangements.
The policy context for our decommissioning and transitional support schemes might change for the better in the next few months. However, we should not put the negotiating process at risk by failing to follow through on the commitment that further decommissioning is necessary.
My second introductory point is a longer-term observation. Although flexibility is critical to individual businesses, restructuring remains essential and is at the heart of what we are trying to achieve. On one side of the equation, we are trying to introduce sufficient conservation measures to retain sustainable fisheries. With the other measure, we are seeking to support communities so that we have sustainable fishing communities.
We have to be clear that processing businesses, onshore suppliers and all other related businesses are ultimately dependent on healthier fish stocks. There is no way of avoiding that basic fact. Without stock recovery, there can be no prospect of our being able to sustain an industry that proves to be fundamentally unsustainable.
I invite the Parliament to approve the statutory instruments, which will enable the Scottish ministers to launch a decommissioning scheme and a transitional support scheme for the Scottish white-fish sector. Before I deal with the instruments, I will make preliminary remarks on two matters.
First, it is important for members to be informed that progress is being made on negotiating more flexible arrangements than those that are contained in the now infamous annexe XVII of the total allowable catch and quota regulation. Members will recall that when John Farnell of the European Commission gave evidence to the Rural Development Committee, he made it clear that the Commission would propose amendments to the annexe and that it would make proposals—we hope that it will do so later this month—for a more sensible successor regime.
We have worked hard with the Commission and made it clear that greater economic and commercial flexibility is needed. We hope that adjustments to annexe XVII will emerge later this month. We understand from our most recent discussions that they will include some additional flexibilities for which we have asked—particularly on the key issue of vessel safety, which I debated yesterday with Fergus Ewing and about which we have all been most concerned. We also expect to hear about the Commission's thinking on a successor regime at a seminar that it has organised for 11 March.
This morning, there is no point in speculating about the detail of either potential proposal, but they are at least a start and indicate that the Commission understands the need for greater economic and commercial flexibility. That is directly relevant to the debate. Under annexe XVII, the benefits of decommissioning are partly frustrated by the industry's limited ability to acquire additional days at sea from other boats. The signal is that the Commission is beginning to understand that. There is a real prospect of securing more sensible arrangements.
The policy context for our decommissioning and transitional support schemes might change for the better in the next few months. However, we should not put the negotiating process at risk by failing to follow through on the commitment that further decommissioning is necessary.
My second introductory point is a longer-term observation. Although flexibility is critical to individual businesses, restructuring remains essential and is at the heart of what we are trying to achieve. On one side of the equation, we are trying to introduce sufficient conservation measures to retain sustainable fisheries. With the other measure, we are seeking to support communities so that we have sustainable fishing communities.
We have to be clear that processing businesses, onshore suppliers and all other related businesses are ultimately dependent on healthier fish stocks. There is no way of avoiding that basic fact. Without stock recovery, there can be no prospect of our being able to sustain an industry that proves to be fundamentally unsustainable.
In the same item of business
The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie):
LD
In the short time that the Presiding Officer's announcement gave me, I added a little theological content to my speech, so that members will not feel deprive...
Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
The minister used the word "restructuring", but is it not the case that we are talking about destructuring, given the extent of decommissioning that he expec...
Ross Finnie:
LD
That is a highly excitable and, if I might say so, wholly unfounded intervention. We are talking about decommissioning to the extent of 15 per cent of effort...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP):
SNP
Will the minister take an intervention?
Ross Finnie:
LD
I shall make a little progress and then I shall take another intervention.I turn to the two instruments for debate, beginning with the Fishing Vessels (Decom...
Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
The minister will recall that the last time that a decommissioning scheme went through the Parliament, there was huge concern about the fact that many of the...
Ross Finnie:
LD
I shall come on to the detail of that. In general terms, let us be absolutely clear that, essentially, there has to be a contract between the Executive and t...
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
The minister talks about transitional aid to get the industry through the difficult period ahead. The signs that we are getting from the European Commission ...
Ross Finnie:
LD
We must address the question that is before us today. We have introduced a package, we have discussed it and we have allocated funds for it. We are in danger...
Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP):
SNP
Will the minister take an intervention?
Ross Finnie:
LD
No. I will make one more point. It is important that, as set out in SSI 2003/116, the compensation formula will reflect vessels' historic activity. As I expl...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
We all understand and agree with the objectives that the minister has described. Does he accept that there is almost unanimous agreement in the industry that...
Ross Finnie:
LD
The member said that the funding "is available", but that is not accurate, as it has not yet been approved by the Council of Ministers and the European Parli...
Mrs Margaret Ewing:
SNP
In relation to the European scheme, what have the Scottish Executive and the Westminster Government done to ensure that support is given to the budget-line a...
Ross Finnie:
LD
All I know is that we have indicated that if such a scheme were available, we would be genuinely interested in it. It is for the UK ministers to pursue the m...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr Murray Tosh):
Con
Amendments S1M-3958.1 and S1M-3959.1 are in the name of Richard Lochhead.
Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
This morning's events certainly reinforce the Scottish National Party's view that the Parliament does not have appropriate powers to deliver for Scotland's f...
Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD):
LD
Is not Richard Lochhead's amendment somewhat disingenuous? I know for a fact that he misrepresents the views of members of the Rural Development Committee. H...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
You are repeating yourself, Mr Rumbles.
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
If that is the best that the member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine can come up with, I suggest that he sit on his backside for the rest of the debate....
Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab):
Lab
The member said that other countries were building new vessels. If the SNP were in power, would it subsidise fishermen to do that at this juncture?
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
One thing that the SNP would not do is destroy the vast bulk of our own fishing fleet.Over the past three years, the Executive has introduced two aid package...
Ross Finnie:
LD
Would it not be more accurate to say that we have actually spent 85 per cent trying to conserve stocks so that there is a sustainable fishing industry?
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
One does not conserve the fishing industry by destroying it.The minister says that he needs to scrap vessels in order to secure two of the 15 days a month at...
Mr Rumbles:
LD
Disgraceful.
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
Despite what Mike Rumbles says, it is there in black and white in the committee's report, which was published last week.
Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD):
LD
Will Richard Lochhead give way?
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
I want to continue with my speech.The SNP's amendment on the decommissioning scheme would ensure that any such scheme would be sensible. The minister must do...
Ross Finnie:
LD
On what basis does the member tell us that the 180 dedicated white-fish vessels amount to only 15 per cent of Scotland's fishing effort on cod?
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
If the minister dedicates £40 million to decommissioning and gives no alternative to the fleet but bankruptcy, there will be applications for decommissioning...