Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund allocation “wholly unacceptable”

The Scottish Government will receive only £28 million to support the Scottish fishing industry from a new £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth fund, despite accounting for over 60% of the UK’s fishing capacity and over 60% of UK seafood exports.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon is calling on the UK Government to reconsider its approach to funding allocations in the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund and has written to Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP for this be reconsidered.

The Letter

“To: Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP

From: Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon

Dear Angela,

Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund

Thank you for your letter of Monday 20 October setting out your intention to allocate the Scottish Government just £28 million of the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund announced by your government earlier this year.

The deal that you have presented on the share of this funding to Scotland is wholly unacceptable. As you will be aware, the Scottish fishing sector accounts for over 60% of the UK’s fishing capacity and over 60% of UK seafood exports. Moreover, more than 75% of all UK quota species is landed by Scottish vessels. Over the past several months, at both Ministerial and official level, we have set out a clear, rational, and evidence-based case for Scotland’s share of this funding to be representative of the relative size and importance of the Scottish sector, and reflect at least the 46% share Scotland previously received from the EU funding allocated to the UK. Instead the announced allocation of just 7.78% is a grossly oversimplified approach which does not represent a fair settlement for Scotland, a position supported by key Scottish stakeholders. It is unjustified and nothing short of insulting to the Scottish fishing industry and our coastal communities. It also disproportionately benefits your own fishing sector in England – for whom you have retained over £300 million, despite landing significantly smaller catches than Scotland.

With the funding being spread over 12 years – and no guarantee that the commitment will even be maintained following this parliamentary term – the deal you have set out means Scotland will have a meagre £2.3 million per annum of additional funding to invest in our marine industries and coastal communities. This is nowhere near enough to support the next generation of fishermen and breathe new life into our coastal communities as your letter sets out.

This announcement is yet another negative consequence of Brexit which the people of Scotland did not vote for, but for which our businesses and communities are paying the price. However, more than that, it demonstrates a clear misunderstanding of, and lack of care for, the Scottish fishing industry and our coastal communities by the UK Government. The fact that this announcement was made within hours of you writing to me and my counterparts in the devolved governments in Wales and Northern Ireland, with no opportunity for discussion, also demonstrates a disappointing departure from your government’s commitment to resetting and renewing the devolution relationship and effective intergovernmental working. This comes on the back of a similar lack of engagement on the EU deal in relation to fisheries, which will hit the Scottish sector hard. At the same time we are still assessing the likely implications of the scientific advice on mackerel and cod – which are expected to have serious negative impacts for the fishing industry in Scotland.

I strongly urge you to reconsider this approach, and enter into discussions at the earliest possible opportunity with myself, and our colleagues in Wales and Northern Ireland, to agree an alternative approach which treats each of our respective industries and communities with the respect they deserve.

I have copied this letter to Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies and Minister Andrew Muir for awareness of the Scottish Government’s position.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Mairi Gougeon”