Tag Archives: Mike Park
‘I’m a fisherman and lifelong Tory who voted Brexit. I won’t vote for them again’
Fisherman James Stephen has been at sea for more than 40 years. Based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, which is home to the largest fishing port in Europe, he voted for Brexit in 2016 in the hope it would give his community a greater share of fishing in UK waters. But eight years on, he feels he was sold a “pack of lies” and says it has cost the Conservatives his vote at the general election. “I would say that 99 per cent of the fishing industry would have voted for Brexit in the hope that we could get back control of our waters, rightfully get our share of [fishing] quota which was given away when we joined the EU,” says Mr Stephen. “I hoped, by voting for Brexit, we could undo some of the unjust that was done to the industry then. But for me, it’s been a total disaster. Nothing we were promised materialised.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:40
Scots fishers feeling chipper over more haddock
Scots fishers have access to more haddock, the mainstay of fish suppers north of the border, following an international deal on quotas. It remains to be seen whether it will mean cheaper fish and chips. But more haddock is undoubtedly a boost for the supply chain, including fish friers. The agreement between the UK and Faroe was today hailed as the “final piece of the jigsaw” for the Scottish catch sector in 2024. Britain secured a total of more than 2,200 tonnes of extra fish quota in the bilateral talks. Scottish fishing vessels, including many based in the north-east, now have greater access to several key stocks. According to the UK Government, it is another example of what can be achieved from “post-Brexit freedoms”. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 16:27
Planned Tenfold North Sea Windfarm Expansion by 2050
The fishing industry is alarmed by drastic plans to massively increase windfarm capacity in the North Sea. Fishing industry leaders already fighting to retain fishing grounds for their members are deeply alarmed by the plans to increase of offshore wind power by ten times current levels by 2050, to develop ‘energy islands’ of interconnected sites and carbon capture projects. Mike Cohen, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO), said the development would be on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting of the international fishermen’s movement, the Northern Fishing Alliance (NFA), which represents fishermen from six countries fishing in the North Sea. >click to read< 12:38
Scottish fishers blast Holyrood for ‘scandalous’ marine policy tantamount to ‘greenwashing’
Mike Park was speaking as the clock ticks down on a Scottish Government consultation on its controversial proposals for Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). Another industry leader, Elspeth Macdonald, branded the plans as “greenwashing”. And Banff and Buchan Tory MP David Duguid claimed they were “the biggest threat to the north-east fishing industry for decades”. But the government hailed its proposals as “a step change in the protection of our marine environment”. It aims to have at least 10% of Scottish waters designated as HPMAs by 2026. >click to read< 07:45
Coronavirus: North-east fishing chiefs fear Holyrood funding package may not be enough to rescue ‘all’ of industry
More than 1,000 businesses dependent on fishing are now eligible for financial assistance. The scheme will help businesses operating a vessel larger than 12 meters, about 40ft, to land shellfish by providing capped payments of up to £21,370. Those operating more than one boat could be eligible for up to £42,740. Chief executive of Peterhead-based Scottish Seafood Association, Jimmy Buchan, said the processing sector welcomed measures to ensure it would still have catches to sell. He said: “I welcome the new funding and I hope it is enough to save all of the industry, and not just part of it. “Fishermen and processors play a significant role in feeding the nation, now even more so. We play an important part in keeping people healthy.” >click to read< 07:23
The EU Discard Ban: Landing all catches is a recipe for disaster
Following a successful campaign by environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and some of their celebrity friends in the catering trade, reforms to the European Union Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) mean that a ban on discarding fish at sea – known as the landings obligation – will come into force from that date. Let me state categorically that nobody, least of all fishermen, wants to see healthy fish being thrown back into the sea. Read more here 09:03
