Fishing for sense

I am grateful to Fordyce Maxwell for his usual common sense (“We must beware the net results of leaving the EU”, 12 March). Both farming and fishing have shed labour as capital investment displaced people. This arose as people no longer yoke horses, as some of us did in the 1940s, or as the mackerel and herring fisheries moved from having a large number of small vessels to 50 to 60 big ones. Technical change happens regardless of vested interests, or even EU policies.

He also touched on the risks in both industries. It perhaps explains why other local jobs are more attractive and dependence on immigrant labour has grown in both industries. It also recalls an attempt in the 1960s to improve farming’s bad record by using the Colleges’ work study people to improve work routines and remove dangers associated with bad systems.

As to your editorial about Michael Gove and Ruth Davidson, I can only hope some of their advisers explain the facts about fisheries. Someone like your contributor John Goodlad, with his experience of negotiations in Shetland, Edinburgh, London and Brussels, would be a godsend. He knows that our most valuable species, mackerel, presents itself in other national waters before travelling through ours to yet others. Any unilateral decision to catch more than our share would invite retaliation and fewer fish for everyone.

Our catchers need the work of scientists and enforcers to enable the politicians to set limits for conservation and allocations of entitlement to catch, as well as the necessary policing. This the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) does. In addition, its markets, with their preference for other species – particularly shellfish – have helped the Scottish industry greatly.

Nor should we forget that our fishermen go into a large number of national waters to catch a variety of species. Our input from Edinburgh and London, as well as the main marine laboratories, informs the EU position in negotiating with Norway in particular.

I can only hope that political jostling still leaves time for considered assessment and goes past their sell by-date slogans about the CFP.

LV MCEWAN St Albans Road, Edinburgh Edinburgh needs. It shows no respect for the environment which, as we know, is the most important issue for our precious planet. It is a homage to densely packed construction materials. Where are the green spaces, gardens and trees essential ( not just desirable) for the atmosphere, as well as our mental and physical well being?

M MCKENZIE Grange Loan, Edinburgh