Letters / Shetland and the EU
Thank you, Toby Sandison, for your excellent contribution (Confused by his reasoning; SN, 01/10/14) to the fishing issue, not least, for having the courage and fortitude to research the EU rule book.
If Scotland becomes independent, Shetlanders must protect themselves from the consequences.
If you are right – and you and Magnie are way ahead of me on this – it would suggest that – where fishing quotas are concerned – Shetland would be no worse off in an independent Scotland which joined the EU than remaining with the UK or rUK.
The UK derogation is, of course, only part of the fishing problem and there are other issues with Scottish independence, which would hurt Shetland, too, such as the transfer, by “pork barrel”, of Shetland’s reserves to Holyrood’s Central Belt heartland, against which Shetlanders also need to defend themselves.
My original question, from which discussion of the UK derogation has detracted, was:
“Why is it better for Shetland to be in the EU, when Faroe, Iceland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and many other similar island groups have not joined?”
If Shetland had Faroese-style autonomy, linked, either, to Scotland or the UK, Shetland could stay outside the EU and negotiate fishing agreements directly with the EU, Norway, Iceland and Faroe and would not be subject to the CFP (Common Fisheries Policy) at all.
Even if an independent Scotland retained its share of the UK derogation, it appears the Shetland fishing industry would be better off outside the EU and Shetlanders will never vote down the fishing.
The logic for nationalists should be simple: “No fishing, no Shetland; no Shetland, no oil; no oil, no future Scottish prosperity; no prosperity, no public support for independence.”
They had a fine opportunity to address this with Our Islands, Our Future and blew it.
Alas, they were like the monkey, frantically clutching the orange in the box, unable to withdraw its hand through the hole because it won’t let go, resulting in its inevitable capture.
Witness Shetland’s and Orkney’s emphatic No votes.
Should Shetland Yes campaigners decide to devote their considerable energies and talents to securing Faroese-style autonomy for Shetland, within a Scottish context, the chances of their dream of Scottish independence becoming reality will be greatly enhanced.
John Tulloch
Lyndon
Arrochar
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