2 March 2009
The Scottish Executive’s long awaited reaction to a consultation on the establishment of a separate quota system in Scotland has met a robust response from Defra Fisheries Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies.
The proposals contain much that the NFFO could support but also include provisions to tag “Scottish” quota and attach additional Scottish economic link requirements to any quota subsequently sold to non-Scottish vessels. This would undermine the free movement of quota and licences within the UK that has been a fundamental feature of the UK quota arrangements to date.
Despite withering criticism from the NFFO, and a large body of opposition from within the Scottish industry, the SNP-led minority administration in Edinburgh has retained the divisive and almost certainly illegal, economic link requirement. At heart, this is a politically driven initiative, more to do with window dressing than the real substantive issues confronting the UK fishing industry.
In two paragraphs of a short letter to Scottish Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead, Huw Irranca-Davies has effectively punctured the Scottish economic link requirements:
“Free movement of vessels and quota throughout the UK is a fundamental part of the devolution settlement. I want fishermen across the UK to have clarity and reassurance about the business environment they are operating in. To that end, I must make it clear that UK Government does not recognise permanent Scottish quota as set out in your latest proposals. My position on the Scottish moratorium is unchanged – it is illegal in that it seeks t prevent Scottish vessels re-registering to another Fisheries Administration and taking their FQA units [Fixed Quota Allocations ]with them.
As such, if any Scottish vessel chooses to reregister from Scotland to England we will issue them with a licence and transfer the associated FQAs onto that licence thereby ensuring that they are free to continue to operate their businesses without hindrance”
The UK Minister’s response is measured, decisive – and very reassuring for those vessel operators who would have potentially affected by the Scottish economic link requirements. Many NFFO member vessels are registered in Scotland, land into Scottish ports and are members of Scottish producer organisations. The Minister’s commitment provides them with a clear assurance that the Scottish administration’s protectionist measures can be circumvented by re-registration.
The Scottish Administration’s decision to proceed on a course that will inevitably put it in conflict with the UK Minister is of course, a political tactic that has nothing to do with the fishing industry and its fortunes. It is, however, of the utmost concern that ministers, officials and industry representatives will now be focused on this internecine struggle rather than the real issues confronting the industry – days at sea restrictions, a new control regulation, marine conservation zones and the 2012 reform of the CFP to mention a few. This will be a major distraction, a huge own goal for the UK, that can only damage the industry’s interests.