Halcro Johnston hails UK-Norway fisheries deal
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THE fisheries deal signed between the UK and Norway has been hailed by a north MSP.
Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston has said the agreement is of "huge importance" to the Scottish fishing industry.
He said: “This is a major step in our progress to becoming an independent coastal state capable of striking our own deals on behalf of our own fishermen.
“The days of EU bureaucrats in Brussels making all the decisions are over.
“This agreement is particularly significant for our coastal communities which have been yearning for the opportunity to rebuild our fishing industry and bring back well-paid jobs to areas which desperately need them.
“As confidence in the future returns, the only impediment seems to be the attitude of the SNP Government which is hell-bent on delivering us straight back into the EU’s disastrous Common Fisheries Policy.
“No doubt, SNP politicians, usually so voluble, will greet this agreement with our Scandinavian neighbour with utter silence.”
However, the SNP's Stewart Stevenson MSP (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) stressed that the deal fell far short of what Scottish fishermen had been promised as the benefits of Brexit.
He said: “While it is welcome it is not the 'Sea of Opportunity' that our fishermen have been looking for.
"It does, of course, remind us of the power small independent nations can wield.
"The challenge remains one of market access and our processing industries which are a vital part of the supply chain that still face an uncertain future.”
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