How to help haddock and the Highlands

Sir, While politicians bicker and battle in Brussels and Holyrood, our haddock stocks and fishing industry declines (‘Haddock takes a battering’, The an

Ti es, March 30). Britain is importing thousands of tonnes of white fish from Iceland and Norway due to overfishing so how can we help our haddock, help Oban and help Scotland?

Currently, only half of UK fish are caught by British boats. So from April 2019 we must ban all foreign fishermen within a 200-mile limit as Iceland does. Soft loans must be made available to help increase the size of the Scottish fishing fleet by half, plus expand onshore fish processing. That will leave large areas for fish stocks to recover and around 2,040 local children will once again be able to catch large mackerel at the mouth of Oban Bay.

Sadly, bumptious bureaucrats and politicians of all colours seem intent on selling their grannies to any lobby group. But until positive action is taken to help the plant and help our communities, haddock and the Highlands will continue to be shafted. ike oster anno rannai a hinister ban.