Hard work of fishing industry must be protected by government

17 Apr 2012

Responding to statistics showing a significant improvement in fishing trade in Scotland, Scottish Conservative environment spokesman and Highlands and Islands MSP, Jamie McGrigor, said:

“These figures are welcome and I am delighted to see the hard work of Scotland’s fishing community is paying off.

“This shows just how important the Scottish fishing fleet is to the Scottish economy, and to employment since every job at sea represents at least five jobs on land.

“The dedication of Scotland’s fishermen makes it all the more important that the Scottish and UK Governments work together to secure the best possible outcome from the current EU Common Fisheries Policy reform, which threatens the hard work which has produced such encouraging statistics.

“The Common Fisheries Policy micro-management approach is unwanted by Scotland’s fishing community, a message we have been highlighting for years.”