The European Commission (EC) lulled the Scottish Fisheries Minister, Richard Lochhead and Bertie Armstrong, CEO of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation into a false sense of security before the talks on fishing which have now concluded.
In a crafty move earlier this year, the commission introduced ‘emergency regulations’ which were presented then as being no nore than that.
Then, at the talks in Brussels, it emerged that these ‘emergency regulations’ had been written into the new permanent regulations to be agreed.
The Commission was not prepare to countenance any compromise so the UK voted against the proposed new regulations. Richard Lochhead noted that this was the first time that the UK Government had agreed with the Scottish Government that a vote against was imperative – if, as in this case, impotent.
The previous ‘emergency regulations’ had included additional quota restrictions on Scottish west coast whitefish catches. These have now passed into permanency.
The compensation is that a pause has been taken on the introduction of technical measures that would have affected the prawn fleet in 2010 and changes to fishing gear that Lochhead says would have affected viability and safety.
The bottom line is that the EC has played a canny game and caught the UK napping. The big political lesson is that unwise regulations should never be allowed to be introduced at all, even if they are said to be temporary. Once introduced, the momentum is behind them.
This is a case of the government being caught at their own game…wonderful!
The sad part of this story is that these elected politicians appear to being playing “games” with the livelihoods of many that use the sea, the “stakeholders” of the sea and that is not acceptable.
Living by the sea as most Scots do, we are all “stakeholders” and must have a place at the table when the new planning partnerships emerge under the Marine Bill; if we do not and stakeholders are omitted as is seen at present then nothing will change and our fish stocks will dwindle further to nothing and our fishing fleet will be out of a job regardless of any legislation.
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the snp want scotland to be ruled from brussels with the euro etc etc .
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And how does Scotland stop being ruled from Brussels if were are still part of the UK?
Please try to raise your game. We are not all seven years old.
Actually I don’t care what currency we have as long as I have enough of it.
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Good point, Willie. I never cease to wonder at those people that rail about the SNP’s present position on the EU while supporting Scotland remaining as a part of the UK which is in the EU.
Obviously if Scotland wants to leave the EU Scotland has to attain independence first. The respective position of horses and carts springs to mind.
I am aware that a daft section of our population hasn’t noticed this yet
Actually the SNP’s present policy is to give an independent Scotland a referendum as to whether it stays in the EU or not though I cannot imagine any circumstance in which leaving would be in Scotland’s long term interest (insofar as my ambition is to see a prosperous and progressive free Scotland as a full and constructive member at all the world’s forums)though the CFP, if not abandoned in favour of territorial responsibility for our seas, would seriously test my support. But an independent Scotland would have huge influence on this matter.
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it’s not that long ago the snp urged scots to leave the EEC as it was then called , then jim sillars came up with his ridiculous independence in europe slogan .
snp are hopelessly divided unprincipled political opportunists
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The SNP has never urged Scots to leave the EU. Do you imagine that making these unsubstantiated assertions makes them true?
Have you answered any of the serious points in the two posts above?
For instance, how does Scotland get out of the EU unless it is independent first ?
Answer please.
Do you just make these ludicrous remarks to allow the SNP supporters to shoot you down with the facts?
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Is Scotland in the EU ? The UK is part of the EU and Scotland is part of the UK but does that mean that when we gain our rightful independence we will automatically be a part of the EU, by default ?
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Despite various scare stories spread about both Scotland on independence and the remaining UK inherit all the treaty obligations of the previous UK state each on exactly the same basis. This includes EU membership.
There is no mechanism for expelling any member state or part of member state from the EU.
The EU however is a voluntary union and it is perfectly possible to negotiate withdrawal from it (as did Greenland when it loosened its ties with Denmark).
Should Scotland by referendum decide to leave the EU (because of the CFP for instance) it would be free to initiate withdrawal negotiations.
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more snp porkie pies ? during the referendum on continuing membership of the european economic community (EEC) the snp urged scots to vote NO .
let me repeat the snp urged scots to leave the EEC . anyone who doubts this fact should do a quick google to confirm the truth of what i’m saying ………….. this appears to be another attempt by nationalists to rewrite their shabby inconsistent history
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