VITAL SUPPORT MUST BE PAID OUT QUICKLY
FINALLY, the vital support that the Scottish Conservatives have called for has been announced for Scotland’s fishing industry. The UK Government yesterday said that a £23million compensation package would be made available to those who have lost out because of the issues exporting to the EU that we’ve seen in the past few weeks.
This support was very much necessary, and that’s why we made the point so strongly to the UK Government and the relevant ministers, including the Prime Minister himself.
I know that the UK Government has been working non-stop to sort the IT problems that have been afflicting Scottish fishing but even so, they really needed this compensation. The past three weeks have been devastating for so many fishermen and fish processors, including many in my own constituency of Moray. They’ve told me about the dire circumstances they’ve faced, watching the price of fish plummet and seeing their hard work go to waste.
So I’m delighted the UK Government has now stepped up and delivered this compensation package. I will be urging ministers in the coming days to get this money out the door as quickly as possible.
The Scottish Conservatives have fought for Scottish jobs and businesses relentlessly since I became leader, arguing that more funding was necessary to keep businesses going through these difficult times.
And I’m confident the UK Government will get the funding out to fishing businesses a lot faster than the SNP would ever manage – thousands of businesses are still waiting to hear what’s happening with the hundreds of millions of pounds announced by Kate Forbes before Christmas. Since October, the SNP have announced £715million of business support. And paid out less than a tenth of that – just £55million.
That’s nowhere near good enough from the SNP and I know that the UK Government will do everything in their power to make sure the same doesn’t happen with this compensation package.
But it’s clear this money alone won’t be enough to allow our fishing industry to capitalise on the great opportunities that are still absolutely possible to realise.
These past few weeks have been awful but we are now out of the hated Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) that crippled our industry for so many decades.
The opportunities are coming in the near future and we now need to see the longterm UK Government investment reach them as soon as possible to start that postCFP rejuvenation.
We know UK Government funding will be delivered and, when it arrives, it will allow Scottish fishing to rebuild from the years struggling in the CFP. Whatever the SNP desperately try to claim, our seas are much better off away from Brussels control.
But in the short-term, over the coming weeks, there are still many challenges ahead. What would help, more than anything, is for both of Scotland’s governments to start working together.
There are ongoing certification issues at Larkhall, which are the sole responsibility of the Scottish Government, and they have so far refused UK Government support to increase surge capacity and boost vet numbers. That simply cannot continue.
We cannot allow our fishermen to be let down because Scotland’s governments won’t get around the table and work out what needs to be done. The future of Scottish fishing depends on it – and no one will be forgiven if they fail to deliver.