Marine / Goodlad slams ‘unjust and incompetent’ fishing and coastal fund
THE LOCAL SNP candidate for next year’s Holyrood election has slammed a Labour government announcement on a £360 million fishing and coastal growth fund as “unjust and incompetent”.
Hannah Mary Goodlad has added her voice to those of fishing representatives and national politicians who last week condemned the allocation of funds as a betrayal and “close to derisory”.
Based on the Barnett formula, Scotland’s fishing and coastal communities are due to receive just eight per cent (£28 million) of the fund while being the home of 60 per cent of the UK’s fishing industry.
The fund has been set up to cushion some of the consequences of allowing EU vessels to fish in UK waters until 2038.
On Monday, Goodlad said in Shetland alone more fish was landed than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined.
“Let that sink in,” she said. “Eight percent. That’s what Westminster thinks Scotland’s world-class fishing industry is worth.
“This is supposed to be a fund that supports the backbone of our coastal economy and yet Scotland, which lands the lion’s share of the UK’s fish, gets a paltry share of the investment.”
Goodlad claimed that in addition to the value of the fund, the design is also flawed.
“Coastal, fishing and island communities are diverse. One size does not fit all – in terms of the investment, support and infrastructure needed.
“Lerwick is not Lowestoft and Scalloway is not Southend–on-Sea. This is another reminder of Westminster inability to focus beyond the southeast of England.
“This unjust and incompetent decision is yet another example of how we cannot trust Westminster to look after Scotland or Shetland’s fisheries interests.
“Hard on the heels of Starmer’s 12-year quota giveaway to the EU, fishermen are rightly asking is there is no end to this Westminster madness.”
Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the Shetland seat, John Erskine, has also been asked for his views on the new fund, but Shetland News has not received a response yet.
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