THE consequences of leaving the European Union on Scotland’s fishing industry will be among the issues discussed today when MPs holding an inquiry into the UK Government’s Brexit negotiating objectives take evidence north of the Border.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of Scottish Fisherman’s Federation (SFF), and Michael Bates, of the Scottish Seafood Association will be the leading industry figures speaking at the Aberdeen session.
It will be the first hearing held in Scotland by members of the Commons select committee on exiting the European Union and comes days after a House of Lords committee warned expectations that Brexit could benefit the fishing industry may be unrealistic.
Trawler men were among the most vocal critics of the EU during the referendum, fuelled by resentment against strict controls on fishing quotas, which they blamed on Brussels and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
On Friday the Lords Energy and Environment Sub-Committee said that leaving the EU would allow the UK and devolved administrations to control access to the UK’s waters by foreign vessels and allow it to renegotiate the UK’s share of Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for fish stocks that are shared with other countries.
However, it warned open or low-tariff access to the single market was essential for the trade.
The peers also said the UK would also have to negotiate new bilateral fisheries deals with two of Europe’s most powerful and competitive fishing nations, Norway and Iceland and cautioned that fish stocks that are shared with other states risk over-exploitation.
The report also said ministers should collaborate with devolved governments on fisheries policy during the Brexit talks to prevent UK fisheries fragmenting into competing areas.
The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Parliaments legally have jurisdiction over fisheries in their waters through devolution settlements, raising the prospects that they could win full control over policy and quotas too.
The UK’s fishing industry bodies signed a joint position statement in November calling on the Government to take full control of access by foreign vessels to British waters.
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