Copyright theorkneynews
During that time, some developments have required a Scottish Government response. Not least of these was the atrocious slashing of funding by Labour at Westminster to Scotland’s fishing industry, which will be of particular concern among Orkney families that rely on fishing for their livelihoods. Scotland’s fishing industry makes up more than half of the UK’s total catch, yet the new funding plan from the UK Labour government at Westminster gives us less than 8% of the support. This has come about because Labour has decided to split the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund by population size rather than industry size. The result of this is that Scotland will get just £28 million instead of the £166 million we should be getting to represent the scale of the industry north of the Border. It means that England’s proportionally smaller industry will receive a significant boost at Scotland’s expense – getting over £300 million. This is yet another example of how successive governments at Westminster have shown a complete lack of understanding and care for Scotland’s fishing industry. Mairi Gougeon, in her role as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, has now raised the issue with Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs Angela Eagle. She is calling on the UK Government to reconsider its approach to funding allocations in the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund as it is not a fair settlement for Scotland. The share of this funding to Scotland is wholly unacceptable, with the Scottish fishing sector accounting for over 60% of the UK’s fishing capacity and over 60% of UK seafood exports. With more than 75% of all UK quota species landed by Scottish vessels, a clear, rational, and evidence-based case for Scotland’s share of the funding to be representative of the relative size and importance of the Scottish sector, had been set out. The argument was that this should be at least the 46% share Scotland previously received from the EU funding allocated to the UK. The 7.78% is therefore nothing short of insulting to the Scottish fishing industry and our coastal communities. This massive underfunding is nowhere near enough to support the next generation of fishermen and breathe new life into Scotland’s coastal communities. This slap in the face for our fishing industry is yet another negative consequence of Brexit, which folk in Orkney – in common with every other local authority area in Scotland – did not vote for, but for which our businesses and communities are paying the price. We can only hope that the Labour at the UK level will agree to enter into discussions with the Scottish Government to agree an alternative approach that treats our fishing industries and communities with the respect they deserve. Of course, the only way we can guarantee Scotland’s fishing industry will always get the deal it deserves is with the fresh start of independence. This is a regular column by SNP MSP Emma Roddick. All Highlands and Islands MSPs have been offered the same space in The Orkney News to share their personal views.
