Anger over SNP’s fisheries plan
NICOLA sturgeon would drag an independent scotland back into the Common Fisheries Policy, it yesterday emerged – sparking fury among scottish fishermen.
Civil servants working for quango Marine scotland have been briefing senior fishing bodies over how the management of fisheries will work post-Brexit.
The meetings included a presentation which indicates the SNP will seek to ‘rejoin the Common Fisheries Policy’ (CFP).
a slide show, leaked to the scottish daily Mail, includes three options for how fishing will be managed after the UK leaves the EU. One says there could be ‘no deal’ or a transition period with the 27 member states before management over fishing is devolved. a third option states that after a two-year transition scotland could become independent, leading to an attempt to ‘rejoin’ the CFP by seeking EU membership.
Tory MSP for the North-East, Peter Chapman, said: ‘This reveals in no uncertain terms that the SNP wants to drag scotland back into the unpopular and destructive CFP. That’s not what scotland’s fishing industry wants.’
scottish fishermen have been one of the most vocal groups in favour of Brexit. The UK fleet catches only 40 per cent of the fish in its waters, with the rest by EU fleets. Bertie armstrong, chief executive of the scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said: ‘any thought of going back into the CFP is a horror story and we reject it out of hand.’
a UK Government source said ‘leaving the EU means leaving the CFP – no ifs, no buts’, adding that Miss sturgeon’s plans were ‘simply not an acceptable prospect’.
a UK Government spokesman said: ‘We remain committed to leaving the CFP... we are working to secure the best deal for the whole of the UK fishing industry. ’
The scottish Government said: ‘Fisheries is a devolved matter... those devolved powers currently exercised at EU level must be returned to the scottish parliament.’
SCOTLAND’S economy enjoyed a boom in exports in the year since the Brexit vote.
Figures revealed sales to the EU rocketed by 22 per cent in the year to the end of September 2017.
The data from HM Revenue and Customs also showed an 18 per cent rise in non-EU exports in the same period, led by a big jump in sales to Asia.
Ministers claimed the figures showed the EU is ‘our largest trading partner’.
But the Tories said trade with the rest of the UK is worth four times exports to the EU. Economy spokesman Dean Lockhart said: ‘We very much welcome the news Scottish exports are growing and the oil and gas sector is recovering. These figures highlight the most important trading market for Scotland is the UK single market.
‘For the benefit of businesses and consumers, the Scottish Government must focus on strengthening links and markets within the UK as well as the EU and the rest of the world.
‘The UK has voted to leave the EU and a responsible Scottish Government would be working to ensure this process is a success for Scotland.’
The figures show exports to the EU were worth £13.4billion in the year to the end of September, compared to £11billion in the previous year, an increase of 21.7 per cent.
Exports to outside the EU were worth £14.6billion, an 18.3 per cent increase on £12.4billion the previous year.
A £2.6billion upturn in oil and gas exports made a big impact on the overall rise.
Exports from Scotland grew by 19.9 per cent, higher than any other part of the UK. In Wales, there was an increase of 18.9 per cent, followed by 14.1 per cent in England and 13.3 per cent in Northern Ireland.
The figures also showed Scotland imported £8.9billion of goods from the EU, compared to £8.1billion a year earlier.
Imports from outside the EU were worth £13.9billion, compared to £12.4billion.
A UK Government spokesman said: ‘The figures show Scotland’s trade with the rest of the UK is worth four times that of trade with Europe.
‘We have been clear, as we leave the EU, we will not do anything which would create barriers to living and doing business in the UK.’
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said: ‘More than a year since the EU referendum, these figures show every part of the UK is benefiting from increased trade with the world.’
SNP Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: ‘Scotland’s exports to the EU have increased, emphasising the vital importance of the EU single market to our economic prosperity.
‘Leaving the single market and customs union could potentially increase the cost of exporting to EU markets, reduce the country’s attractiveness to overseas investors and impose restrictions on labour, thus increasing skills shortages and reducing productivity.’
‘Exports have increased’