The Scottish fishing industry has warned the Prime Minister that control over UK fisheries must not be watered down in negotiations on a new agreement to ease trade with the European Union.
The Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) is calling for firm assurances that the proposed sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, commonly referred to as a veterinary agreement, will not extend into fisheries management or bring the UK back under elements of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
The warning comes ahead of the UK–EU summit in Brussels on 20th November. SFF representatives will meet Europe minister Hamish Falconer to raise their concerns today (Tues 27th Oct).
SFF has previously raised concerns that the scope of the proposed agreement could extend beyond food safety and veterinary standards to encompass wider regulatory alignment, potentially restricting the UK's ability to determine how fisheries in its own waters are managed.
The Federation supports measures to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and delays affecting seafood exports to European markets. However, it insists that easier trading arrangements must not come at the expense of the catching sector.
SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said: “Scottish fishermen want to sell their catch into European markets as efficiently as possible. Reducing unnecessary paperwork, costs and delays is something we would support.
“But there is a fundamental distinction between the arrangements governing how we sell our fish and those governing how we catch them.
“We have already seen fish stocks used as a bargaining chip in wider UK–EU negotiations, with the Government agreeing last year to extend existing EU access to our waters until 2038.
“That was a deeply disappointing outcome for our industry, and we cannot afford to see further concessions made through the proposed veterinary agreement.
“Our concern is that regulatory alignment could extend beyond sanitary and phytosanitary standards into fisheries management, undermining the autonomy that the UK regained following its departure from the EU.
“The Prime Minister must ensure that this agreement does not become a back door through which elements of the Common Fisheries Policy are reintroduced.”
Ms Macdonald added: “We will be making these concerns clear to the Europe minister and expect the UK Government to protect the interests of the Scottish catching sector in the negotiations ahead of the Brussels summit.”