Marine / ‘Control-freakery’ – MP criticises SNP over fisheries fund demand
THE SCOTTISH Government requested a fisheries fund be devolved to them – leading to a smaller share for Scotland, a meeting heard this week.
Scotland is set to receive just eight per cent of funding from the UK Government’s £360 million fishing and coastal growth fund.
The allocation of funds to the four nations follows the Barnett formula, something that was condemned as “grossly unfair” by the Scottish fishing industry.
It emerged that it was the SNP government who requested that the fund be devolved, a meeting of the government’s environment, food and rural affairs select committee heard this week.
That led to Barnett formula rules being applied.
MP Alistair Carmichael, who chairs the committee, criticised the SNP’s “control-freakery”.
“It is typical of the SNP that they seemingly preferred to have less funding for Scottish fishermen just as long as they could control that funding themselves,” he said.
“By asking for the fisheries and coastal growth fund to be devolved to their control, they have slashed the potential benefit to those who really needed it.
“The control-freakery and incompetence of the SNP is costing Scottish fishermen dearly – and not for the first time. It is part of the same pattern that led to the failed imposition of HPMAs just two years ago.
“The one silver lining to this mismanagement is the potential for some of the remaining DEFRA-controlled fund to be accessed by Scottish fishing businesses.
“If that does prove to be possible it would go some way to reducing the harm and I shall be pursuing this further with the government.”
Local SNP election candidate Hannah Mary Goodlad was among those to condemn the lack of funding for Scotland last month, calling it “unjust and incompetent”.
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