The First Minister and Fisheries Secretary met with fishing leaders today (February 11), to discuss shared priorities for the Scottish fleet.
Speaking after the meeting in Aberdeen, Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
“The First Minister and myself reiterated the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting a sustainable future for our fishing fleet.
“To achieve this, it’s important that we work closely with fishing leaders, something we have done for the past four years.
“Today’s meeting was very constructive. We agreed that government will continue to work in partnership with industry to address the serious flaws in EU fisheries policy. To do this, we are determined to influence the forthcoming negotiations on the future of the despised Common Fisheries Policy which is undermining Scottish efforts to put in place sustainable, discard-free fisheries.
“2011 is also a critical year for tackling the EU’s failing Cod Recovery Plan that is engulfing the fleet in unworkable regulations.
“Importantly, we gave a commitment to focus on getting the scientific evidence to back Scotland’s case for improved fishing opportunities where this can be justified. We all agreed at the meeting that fishermen need greater input to the science.
“Finally, to improve the industry’s profitability, the Government reiterated our determination to help fishermen maximise the value of the Scottish catch. We are landing the best seafood in the world so more of our fishermen should be rewarded by the market.”
