The Scottish Government, administering the lion’s share of UK fisheries, says the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union should be scrapped, not reformed.
In a response to the Commission’s Green Paper published last spring, it stated that “even if Scotland remains part of the CFP, then powers must be returned to Member States to allow them to co-operate on a regional basis to help bring an end to the damage inflicted by Europe’s most unpopular policy”.
The Scottish vision of the future EU fisheries policy, to replace the current CFP in 2012, with decision-making powers returned to the member nations, included:
- Management measures to end discards.
- Co-management of Scotland’s seas with industry and marine stakeholders, “giving the real experts more of a say in future policy”.
- Management measures “aligned with marine environmental and marine planning objectives”.
- A model that “respects each country’s historic fishing rights” and that prevents quota being sold to other countries.
In a press release, Scotland’s Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said that his government intends to deliver a system “in complete contrast” to the present CFP, one “without micromanagement and a world away from the myriad of existing unworkable and complex regulations, and free from measures that actually prevent innovative conservation”.
“The last 25 years of the CFP have been extremely painful and often ruinous for our fishing communities”, he added. “As far as every Scots fisherman is concerned, the CFP is Europe’s most damaging and unpopular policy. Now the CFP’s future is up for debate and there is a long awaited opportunity to put its failures behind us and bring decision making back to Scotland to allow us to safeguard our fishing communities and our fisheries”.
“The outcome of the CFP review will determine to what extent we are able to give our fishing communities a future and safeguard our rich fish stocks and an invaluable food supply for future generations”.
With 66 per cent of the landings into the UK, Scotland is one of the major fisheries powers in the EU. Around 90 per cent of the UK fish farming industry is based in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands and Islands.