CHANGES proposed for European fisheries regulations could allow an "armada" of Spanish trawlers to finally gain access to Scotland's rich traditional fishing grounds, it was claimed last night.
Scottish MEPs warned the prospects of a "fishing free for all" in the North Sea could undermine the principles of the controversial Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) by giving the European Commission the power to reallocate unused national fishing quot
as.
The row erupted after the European Parliament approved new proposals governing the fishing activities of EU and third-country fishing vessels.
The regulations were originally drawn up to deal with the under-utilisation of fishing opportunities by vessels in fishing grounds such as the waters off Greenland and west Africa.
But Scottish MEPs claim that amendments to the regulations, championed by Spanish MEPs, have also effectively given the European Commission the right to transfer unused quotas within EU waters from one member state to another. Two of Scotland's mainstay catches – haddock and mackerel – which are allocated under a joint agreement with Norway, could be particularly at risk, they said.
Struan Stevenson, the Scottish Conservative MEP, said the changes would pave the way for a "new Spanish fishing armada" to enter British waters and allow the Spanish fishing fleet to grab UK quota and displace British fishermen in the North Sea.
He said: "If the proposal is endorsed by the Council of Ministers, the Commission will be able to give any unused fishing quota from one country in the EU to another. Any unused UK quota could be given to Spain or other major fishing nations.
"This is a Trojan Horse as it will give right of access to fishing opportunities previously allocated to other member states."
Mr Stevenson added: "We argued in the debate in the parliament that this would completely undermine the whole credibility of the CFP and the whole pillar of relative stability.
"My fear is that countries like Spain will argue they have track record of fishing in the North Sea and will demand fishing rights."
Catherine Stihler, the Scottish Labour MEP, also condemned the Parliament's decision. She said: "The report was supposed to simplify fishing authorisations but instead has ended up awarding the Commission the right to reallocate fishing quota. To give the Commission carte blanche to reallocate fishing opportunities beggars belief, especially when fishing opportunities are scarcer. We have to ask ourselves if we are facing a fish free-for-all in the North Sea."
PLEDGE TO BLOCK MOVEGEORGE MacRae, the secretary of the Scottish White Fish Producers' Association, pledged that the fishing industry would take court action to block the changes.
He said: "The Spaniards have long cast greedy, envious eyes at the rich stocks that are available in the North Sea."
The full article contains 463 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
