Tag Archives: Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association
‘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
UK response to visa rule concerns branded an ‘insult’ to Scottish fishermen
New rules came into force last week affecting the visas most commonly used by non-UK fishermen. The industry heavily criticised the move, saying it could lead to businesses in the Highlands and islands closing down. Now Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, has raised these concerns directly with the Home Office and says the UK Government’s decision is “economically illiterate, politically inept and morally indefensible”. However, new rules came into force last week banning anyone on transit visas from carrying out work on fishing boats, and requiring them to get a skilled workers visa instead. >click to read< 12:25
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
No auction at Peterhead Fish Market after boycott by processors
The Aberdeenshire town is the biggest white fish port in Europe and the market is one of the largest. The dispute centres around Peterhead Port Authority’s decision to stop certain buying practices which it said are anti-competitive. It operates as a traditional shout auction with processors bidding for boxes of fish landed at the harbour. Until recently, as part of that, the practice of so-called bid sharing or ringing was commonly used, which is when buyers sometimes bid in groups rather than individually. However, Peterhead Port Authority, which runs the market, is putting a stop to this. >click to read< 07:29
Scottish fishermen launch survey of North Sea fish stocks to tackle government’s ‘poor science’
Scottish fishermen have revealed plans to fund additional surveys of North Sea white fish stocks in a bid to tackle the Scottish Government’s ‘poor science’. The Shetland Fishermen’s Association and the Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association are organizing “rigorous, transparent studies of key fish stocks that are fit for purpose”. The groups, which account for more than 80% of the UK’s white fish catches, criticized the Scottish Government for following “poor science” in its recent decision to close the Clyde cod-box, which led to its plans to fund its own scientific research into the North Sea. >click to read< 11:37
Fishing Industry Urges Prime Minister To Support Industry After Brexit Fiasco
Scottish fisheries leaders have urged the Prime Minister to help them build back the industry after the bad Brexit deal, which left skippers battling for fishing opportunities while EU vessels continued to have full access to UK waters. At a business meeting in Fraserburgh, they asked Boris Johnson for action not words on improving prospects for the fleet in five years’ time when the arrangements are due to be revised. In the meantime, Mike Park, chief executive of the Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association, pressed Mr Johnson to order an independent review of the “flawed” science behind proposed quota cuts from ICES to key species such as cod for 2022. ‘As well as the lack of fishing opportunities, the industry is facing a spatial squeeze as offshore wind grows. >click to read< 10:33
‘We are holding three million prawns for which there is no market’; Cork fishermen facing nightmare situation
John Nolan, Managing Director of Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co-op, was blunt and direct in the past week when he said that sectors of the French fishing industry were trying to impose a boycott on the sale there of any fish caught by non/French fishermen. “They have been taking television crews to wholesale and processing operations which they accused of buying fish from non-French boats and not supporting their own industry. “People are afraid actually in France to take fish off us,” he said. “Even big supermarkets like Leclerc, even their government is saying only buy French fish. It does get annoying when you see the way the French are acting. >click to read< 10:06
Cod Crusader Carol Adams wants Scots to boycott French produce
She believes consumers should stop buying wine from France’s best grape-growing regions, Champagne and Camembert cheese because French retailers are turning their backs on Scottish fish. The row sparked when the Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association (SWFPA) claimed French fishers had applied pressure “through political routes” to make sure France’s largest retailers only purchased their catch – including fish from Scottish waters – at auction. SWFPA chief executive Mike Park said: “The genesis of their actions is unclear but understood to be linked to poor returns for a quantity of French fish. “What is clear is the impact their actions will have for Scottish fishermen, with exports of fish to France now reduced to very low levels. >click to read< 17:18
David Duguid: Coronavirus putting “huge strain” on sector – There is no question that the Covid-19 crisis is putting huge strain on our seafood sector. Boats that should be out fishing are tied up in harbours across the north-east. >click to read< scroll down.
