The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Fish prices
migration schemes for non-EEA nationals to meet labour needs at lower skill levels”.
Mr MacNeil said the response showed “a total indifference” to the needs of the industry.
“This is bad news for the Scottish fishing industry and for the west coast communities wheremany skippers are struggling to crew their vessels, leaving boats tied up in the harbour,” the MP said.
He added: “The hopes of the industry, the west coast communities and also the Filipino diplomats of finding a solution to this crisis have been dashed by a disinterested third party in London who really have no stake in this, but do have the power and the control to determine the outcome. Once again, we have London putting its hand around the neck of the Scottish economy.”
“It’s been known for a long time thatweneedpeople to come and work on the west coast of Scotland – particularly in the islands where unemployment is half the national average and there has been a shortage of crews for boats for some time.”
He also rebuked theminister for describing fishing as low- skilled: “Anyone who has spent a day at sea knows it is a demanding and dangerous job which requires a wide skill set.”
As many as one in five fishers in Scotland are from the Philippines, Ghana, Sri Lanka and Belarus.
– Seven boats and three consignments landed 6,795 boxes of fish. Cod large £2.00-£3.00, medium £1.90-£2.20, selected £1.90-£2.20, small £2.00£2.90; haddock large £2.25£2.75, medium £2.25-£2.85, selected £2.00-£3.30, seed £2.00-£3.00, chippers £1.90£2.75, metros £0.75-£2.00, rounds £1.00-£1.25; whiting £1.25-£2.50, round whiting £1.00-£1.25; lemon sole £3.00-£6.50; monks lge/med/sel £2.80-£3.60; coley large £0.80-£1.00, medium £0.80-£1.00, selected £0.75-£1.00, small £0.50£0.85; megrims £1.00-£4.00; plaice £0.60-£1.50; hake £1.00-£3.30; witches £0.80£1.50; ling £0.80-£1.10; squid £3.00-£6.00. Boats that landed – Karenann, Endurance, Kjelsvik, Starlight Rays, Good Hope, Allegiance, Boy Andrew. Boats that Consigned – Aquarius, Sunrise, Caledonia.