Official Report search · Parliament Workbench

Chamber

Plenary, 07 Dec 2000

07 Dec 2000 · S1 · Plenary

Item of business

Sea Fisheries

Smith, Iain LD North East Fife Watch on SPTV

I will try to be brief, because I know that many members wish to speak. I take this opportunity to make a plea for the small village fishing industry. I represent Pittenweem, in north-east Fife—the east neuk of Fife—which is a relatively small prawn in the fishing sector in Scotland but is an important part of the employment picture in that area. Almost 20 per cent of the population there depends in some way on the fishing industry. The number of fishermen has declined from more than 300 in 1991 to only 162 going out to sea at the end of last year, but fishing is still important to the economy of the east neuk of Fife.

The community is not as directly affected by next week's negotiations as are some others, because it has had largely to withdraw from the white fish sector. The negotiations are still important, however. The knock-on effects of the discussions in the European Union will affect the fishing industry in the east neuk of Fife. The impact on nephrops will be great, because that is what the fishing industry in that area has had to withdraw to. There are no white fish within 100 miles of Pittenweem. Our boats can no longer fish for white fish. The last two deep vessel boats were sold this year because the value of their licences and track record was greater than what they could earn catching from Pittenweem.

Prawns have now become important because they are the only stock available to our local fishermen. As other catches are withdrawn and quotas are reduced in other areas, the value of the licences for prawns will be pushed up, as other fishermen will seek to enter a market in which they are not yet present. That will have an impact on our fishermen too, so it is important that we try to maintain the prawn quotas, to protect those small fishermen in my area who work in the under- 10 m boat sector.

There is more that needs to be done. We should consider the reform of the common fisheries policy. As Liberal Democrats, we fully support proposals to move towards a zonal policy. We must consider whether we can find a way of decommissioning and of helping to subsidise fishermen so that they do not have to go out to sea to earn a living at times when it is perhaps best for them not to do so—especially during the breeding seasons. It would be nice to consider those issues as part of the discussions on the future of fishing.

I hope to be able to participate in future fishing debates in the chamber, but the situation is becoming so desperate in the east neuk of Fife that there may not be a fishing industry in a few years' time. Fife Council has been supportive of the fishing industry over the years, investing some years ago in a new fish market and a new breakwater. Unfortunately, the future of the fish market is in doubt because, due to the loss of white fish, there is simply nothing to sell.

The east neuk of Fife needs a good deal out of the discussions. I am confident that our ministers will help to deliver that good deal, but in the longer term we need to get more sustainable fish stocks back into the North sea so that our fishermen in the east neuk of Fife can start to fish again for white fish locally.

Search Hansard contributions

Plenary, 07 Dec 2000

In the same item of business