The Commission proposals would effectively close nearly all fisheries on the west coast and cut quotas for the nation’s most valuable stock – prawns – which is worth £45 million on the west coast and £100 million across Scotland as a whole.
In Brussels Mr Lochhead said:
“Hundreds of livelihoods in the fishing industry are at stake in the crucial 24 hours ahead. We are disappointed at the lack of movement from the Commission and I am determined to continue fighting for our industry and for our coastal communities in the hours ahead.
“The closure of west coast fishing grounds proposed by the Commission would devastate communities from Campbeltown to Stornoway.
“At any time these proposals would be difficult to accept but in the current climate they would be an economic and social bombshell. West coast fish stocks are worth around £85 million to the Scottish economy and they also support many other businesses.
“The European proposals aim to protect vulnerable whitefish stocks off the west coast but by proposing a blanket ban on fishing they would have a devastating impact on our biggest and most valuable sector – the prawn fleet. This is blatantly unfair given that the science shows that prawn stocks are already being fished sustainably.”
