Scotland not happy with British post-Brexit fisheries plan
The Scottish government was not properly consulted on the new post-Brexit fisheries management policy tabled by the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), declared Scottish Fisheries Secretary Fergus Ewing, according to Seafood Source.
The new plan presented last week stirs many concerns about the viability of some proposals, mentioned Ewing.
"We have significant concerns as to whether some of the proposals, such as charging for fish caught in excess of quota, are viable if we are to prevent overfishing and ensure sustainability. We are also deeply concerned that the paper does not appear to recognize the vital contribution that European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) monies have to the sustainable growth and success of the industry. The paper completely ignores the critical importance of ongoing access to labour for the seafood processing sector and, [while] acknowledging seafood trade as ‘vital,’ provides no detail whatsoever on how seafood exports will be protected from potentially damaging trade barriers. We can only conclude from this that political considerations and undeliverable promises are far more important to the U.K. government than the real needs of businesses and coastal communities, and economic reality", commented Ewing.
He believes that some of the problems would have been resolved by now if a constructive dialogue has been initiated. "Unfortunately, by only sharing the final copy a matter of days before its publication, the UK government chose to significantly limit the scope for that", added Fergus Ewing. DEFRA is expecting comments, points of view and proposals on the new post-Brexit fisheries management policy until 12 September.
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