Fears over Troon fishing industry

Firstly, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Although it has started on a sombre note with a surge in Covid cases, we most definitely have cause for optimism with the continued rollout of the vaccines. Undoubtedly, vaccination offers us the best route out of the pandemic, but it will take time to reach the point where a sufficient percentage of the population has been vaccinated to reduce the scale of the epidemic.

Sadly, given the accelerated spread due to the new variant, it is not possible to vaccinate our way out of this current surge which is why a national lockdown has been necessary. I realise it’s difficult to go through lockdown again and people are weary, not least our healthcare workers who are exhausted from their incredible work during the first and second waves.

However, with this new more infectious variant, it is the only way to drive down Covid cases quickly and

Concerns

Philippa Whitford

prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed.

On top of the difficulties of the pandemic, some businesses are now experiencing the double whammy of Brexit with the first effects now being felt following the end of the transition period.

As I write, fishing boats at Troon are tied up as they haven’t been able to get their seafood to their usual markets since the start of the year.

With their catch being held up for days at a time due to new bureaucratic barriers, it became rotten and unsaleable and now they aren’t even going to sea.

I, along with many in the industry, warned this would happen, and called on the UK Government to put contingencies in place, but they weren’t willing to even acknowledge there would be problems.

And now we know that the Fisheries Minister didn’t even read the details of the deal!

Teething problems are one thing but the threat to Scotland’s seafood and fishing industry is quite another.

I fear the longer this goes on European buyers may find new suppliers and decide to forego the added hassle of sourcing seafood from Scottish boats, regardless of its quality.