NFFO Slams Seafish Appointments

The criteria that will be used to select two new appointees to the Seafish Board have been deliberately set to leave the mainstream English, Welsh and Northern Irish catching sectors without a voice. The NFFO has bitterly condemned the criteria which specifically require “knowledge, understanding and expertise in the catching sector and its impact in Scotland.”

“The intention is to strengthen the already strong Scottish voice on the Seafish Board, whilst leaving the mainstream catching sector south of the border without a voice. It is an affront to natural justice and any sense of fairness or balance”, said NFFO Chief Executive Barrie Deas.

“There are two factors at work here: the first is manoeuvring to placate Scottish interests and nationalist sentiments in advance of the May election in Scotland and the second is Defra’s quite deliberate attempt to reduce the NFFO’s influence”.

“If the current polls are reflected in the May election, an SNP dominated coalition will rule in Edinburgh. That will test the devolution settlement, at least as currently drafted, to destruction. This will have profound implications for fisheries. The decision to sacrifice the NFFO, the only credible voice for the English, Welsh and Northern Irish catching sector at Board level, simply reflects the Westminster Government’s craven efforts to placate Scotland in advance of the election. It is worth recalling that there are broadly similar numbers of fishermen north and south of the border although as a smaller proportion of the population we do not have the same political leverage or level of ministerial support. It is appalling that these fishermen will not be represented.”

“It has been apparent for some time that the upper echelons of Defra favour an atomised fishing industry without strong leadership. That Defra has agreed to these criteria, which effectively denies the NFFO a Board seat, confirms our suspicions about a divide and rule policy.”

“This is bad news for the English, Welsh and Northern Irish catchers but it is also seriously bad news for Seafish which for a number of years now has been struggling to demonstrate its relevance to the catching sector.”