Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - And this is what it is all about – the people of Scotland. Political parties may fight their battles on the streets and on television screens across the country, but it is the individual with their white card who will go along to the polling booths, grip a pencil, and make their mark on history.
But whatever the decision this September, some issues will remain of vital interest, and I would like to focus on something that is close to the hearts of many across the Banff and Buchan Coast, and one that was highlighted recently by the First Minister.
Because fishing is so important, the Scottish Government has made five promises to Scotland if it becomes an independent country. The fishing industry would be recognised as a national priority, it would benefit from clear representation in the EU, which would mean there would be the ability to negotiate our priorities without compromise, and Scotland’s fishing quotas would be protected. There would be the assurance that the country’s fishing levies would promote Scottish seafood and we would benefit from a fairer share of the EU Fisheries budget.
I say ‘we’ because although those working in the fishing industry may be the first to experience the benefits, improvements would soon filter down to locals in my constituency and the wider country.
Scotland’s fishing industry contributes £550 million to the Scottish economy every year, and is a key player in the country’s booming food and drink industry, which has an almost £14 billion annual turnover.
In an internal document circulated by the UK’s Conservative Government on 9 November 1970, Scotland’s fishing industry was infamously described as “expendable”, in relation to EU accession.
This couldn’t be further from how the fishing industry should be viewed and valued.
The economic success story of Scotland owes much to the fishing and seafood sectors, and they need to be given the recognition they deserve with a greater voice around the European table. This is an area of the Scottish economy that, with a fairer deal in funding and quota protection, could successfully thrive beyond expectation.
In the EU, Scotland is one of the leading fishing nations as the waters surrounding it account for at least 20 per cent of the EU’s catch. It is also the fourth largest of the EU’s core sea areas, demonstrating the wealth that we have all around us.
Our significance in Europe cannot be underestimated and with independence more potential could be unleashed. Currently the situation is that there are landlocked countries within Europe, such as Slovakia, Austria and Luxembourg that can speak on EU fisheries policy, while Scotland does not have this ability.
The way it stands at the moment, Scotland is third bottom of the European fisheries funding league tables. This is hardly a fair deal for such an important Scottish industry.
