Free to fish, for now

currenTly, Scottish fishermen can fish anywhere within uK fishing grounds — they are part of the uK. In 2019 the catch by Scottish vessels was worth £ 202 million. And Scottish oil workers can work anywhere within uK oil fields — they are part of the uK — and the current crude oil yield in the uK was 980,000 barrels per day in december 2020.

north Sea revenues have always been touted as a key strength for Scotland’s economy. In 2019, the Office for Budget responsibility estimated revenues would reach £1.4 billion that year, which was halved in March 2020 and halved again (July 2020).

What can we do to help our cousins in the north realise that their own Scottish fishing grounds and oil fields must necessarily become but a small subset of the uK whole, and that both these revenues are currently falling, and will only fall further if Scottish revenue is limited to what comes from Scottish territorial waters.

Whisky production supports about 35,000 jobs. With an eu/ uK border and the following duties these job opportunities must suffer; and the huge home market will now fall ‘ outside of the eu’ which Scotland wishes to belong to.

Deon voS, Bognor Regis, West Sussex.