WHITE PAPER CONFIRMS TORY BETRAYAL OF SCOTLAND'S FISHING INDUSTRY

A leaked UK Government paper exposes the Tories' planned power grab on powers over fishing in Scottish waters.

The latest Tory amendments to the Withdrawal Bill would prevent the Scottish Parliament legislating to protect fishing communities for up to seven years, with Westminster being able to dictate how we manage our fisheries and having the power to further barter away any of Scotland’s fishing interests during that time.

Commenting, Patricia Gibson MP said:

“The Tories think they can do what they want to Scotland’s fishing sector and get away with it; bartering away an industry with a proud past and a bright future and the many jobs it supports in our coastal communities and beyond.

“The White Paper utterly fails to deliver the control over our waters and who catches fish in them that was promised in the Brexit referendum. It’s even worse than taking fishing powers away from Scotland for seven years as threatened in the UK Withdrawal Bill. This is a bid to permanently remove control over fishing from Scotland.

"It confirms that the Tories want to keep control in London so they can again trade away our fishermen’s rights as part of their Brexit negotiations as they have already begun to do. Of course, they have form, having infamously described Scotland’s fishing industry as ‘expendable’ when the UK joined the EU. This proves beyond all doubt they plan to do the same on the way out.”

UK government 'could retain fisheries negotiations veto'

Read more by clicking here.