Scottish fishing industry risks being ‘crushed’ in 2025, warns SFF
A major fishermen’s organisation has warned of a dire 2025 for the Scottish fishing industry unless radical new approaches are adopted.
Scottish Fishermen’s Association (SFF) chief executive Elspeth Macdonald sounded the alert to ministers and civil servants in the UK and further afield.
She said a widespread sense of crisis had spawned a bout of “initiative-itis” by the Scottish and UK governments which, combined with what she described as the apparent determination of the EU to have it all in a new fisheries access agreement for UK waters, threatens to put the livelihoods of hundreds of skippers and crew in jeopardy.
Ms Macdonald highlighted two key issues for the fleet which 2025 will bring into sharper focus – the impact of the planned colossal growth of floating offshore wind power in Scottish waters and the UK government’s ambitions to re-set relationships with the EU, as the end of the fisheries adjustment period in mid-2026 moves closer.
She continued: “We understand the need for energy transition – all our futures depend on shifting from an energy system based on fossil fuels to one that has less impact on global climate.
“But the ‘windrush’ – the planned expansion of offshore wind in our seas – floating offshore wind in particular – going ever-further and faster, is not proving to be a just transition for our fishing industry.
“At present, there are no proposals on the table to compensate our industry for the losses we will suffer, which are increasingly recognised by floating offshore wind developers as being significant. Our long-standing industry must not be a casualty of this new one.
“We call on governments to step up to their responsibilities and live up to their commitments of a just transition - hollow words are not enough.”
On the EU relationship under the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA), she said the demands being heard from the EU were completely unreasonable.
“The EU seems to have forgotten what it signed up to back in 2020 - that from 2026, we move to a position where access to waters becomes part of annual negotiations.
“If the EU wants something different for the benefit of their fishing fleet, then they will need to offer something in return for the benefit of ours.”
Ms Macdonald was also clear any agri-food or veterinary agreement that might be reached with the EU and would benefit both parties should not come at the price of a long-term fisheries access deal that would only benefit the EU.
She said: “The fishing industry paid a heavy price for the Brexit deal in the first place and should not pay the price of a wider arrangement yet again.
“Any re-set of relationships with the EU must not use access to UK fishing waters or quota as a bargaining chip for other issues and must deliver benefit for Scottish fishermen. If the EU wants revised arrangements on access to our waters after the adjustment period then that must be fully paid for in quota shares.”
On broader issues, Ms Macdonald added: “I have lost count this year of the number of times I’ve heard or read the word ‘crisis’.
“We have the climate crisis, the nature crisis and others too, including a recent reference to a plastic crisis.
“No one denies these are huge strategic issues to be addressed globally. We just need to take care that in responding to them, we don’t inadvertently create a food crisis.”
Looking ahead to 2025, she said that there will be much activity on domestic policies, including further development of Scotland’s new National Marine Plan, implementation of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery Plans, developing the future of inshore fisheries management and fisheries management measures in Marine Protected Areas.
“There’s also to be a Natural Environment Bill at Holyrood with legal targets for nature recovery, as well as the plethora of existing plans, strategies, visions and roadmaps.
“There will be no shortage of work for us to do at SFF. But our asks of governments are simple: we want them to demonstrate their commitment to the fishing industry and support it for the long term as part of wider economic growth and our national food security.
“We know that the public supports us. We want to see both the Scottish and UK governments show that same support and stand squarely behind us as we go forward into a new year full of new and not-so-new challenges.”
