Logan Calls for More Co-Operative Approach from Uk Government on Pelagic Fishing Concerns
Seamus Logan MP has met with the CEO, Ian Gatt CBE of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermens’ Association and board members to discuss concerns currently faced in the pelagic fishing sector.
As SNP Spokesperson for DEFRA and an MP representing the North-east of Scotland, Seamus Logan is keen to highlight these issues to the Westminster Government in the next parliamentary session after the Scottish election and to push for a more cooperative approach from Labour.
Unease relating to the process surrounding negotiations with the European Union on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement which is due to be implemented in 2027 was raised by the SPFA in this meeting.
Additional concerns highlighted include the decision by Waitrose not to stock North-east Atlantic Mackerel, which the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East MP has hotly contested in a series of letters to the head of this supermarket.
This is badly affecting the pelagic and mackerel sector, who are currently leading the way in a range of sustainability initiatives, such as the Scottish Pelagic Industry Science Data Collection Programme, which collects data for the purposes of stock assessment and research to improve understanding of pelagic fisheries and stocks.
Commenting, Seamus Logan MP said:
“Ian Gatt and his colleagues raised issues with quotas and market prices for fish landed in Scotland and the ongoing dispute with Waitrose, as well as concerns with the current SPS negotiations taking place between the UK Government and the European Union.
“The SPFA are keen for the UK Government to understand their anxieties in terms of any new changes to regulations. I intend to ensure that a more cooperative and collaborative approach is taken at the next parliamentary session at Westminster so that the Scottish pelagic fishing industry can ensure their voice is heard going forward.”
