Negotiations for Scotland Sharing Fishing and Aquaculture Funding
Written by admin on July 16, 2013
A general approach to sharing funding for fishing and aquaculture sectors was agreed in Brussels Monday night by EU Fishing Ministers.
The deal will underpin the ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) – in particular dealing with the challenges of discards, maximum sustainable yield (msy) and providing investment in fragile coastal communities – and will now be negotiated between the EU Presidency, the EU Commission and the EU Parliament.
The Scottish Government will now seek to negotiate an increase in Scotland’s share of the total UK-level pot from the current 40 per cent to a figure that reflects the fact that the greater share of both industries – 61 per cent of sea fisheries and 86 per cent of aquaculture sales by volume – within the UK are based in Scotland.
Speaking immediately after talks concluded in Brussels, Scotland’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Paul Wheelhouse said with well over half of the UK’s sea fisheries and almost 90 per cent of aquaculture sales by volume coming from Scotland, a settlement of 40 per cent – which is what we have currently – is unacceptable and should not happen again.
“Scotland’s hard working fishermen and fish-farmers deserve a better deal than that. They deserve a deal that is fair and reflects the fact Scotland has the lion’s share within the UK of both of these very valuable sectors,” said Mr Wheelhouse.
