Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead has written to the Scottish MEPs ahead of a vote in the European Parliament tomorrow.
MEPs will be voting on the European Commission’s green paper on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
In his letter to the six MEPs, some of whom he met while in Brussels earlier this week, Mr Lochhead said that while the green paper contained positive elements such as respecting historic fishing rights and decentralising fisheries management, it also contained “worrying aspects” such as transferable quotas.
Mr Lochhead said:
“With the new influence of the European Parliament on fisheries policy, it is imperative that we work together to resist proposals that would undermine real and meaningful reform and see our historic fishing rights sold off.
“It is in the interests of our fishermen, our fishing communities, our seas and indeed of the whole of Scotland that we continue to co-operate and seek a radical change in European fisheries policy that delivers a sustainable future.”
The Scottish Government published its response to the green paper on CFP reform in December.
