Don’t cut the feet out from fishermen over quota, Carmichael warns

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has spoken out in Parliament on the need to avoid “cutting out the feet” of fishermen through quota reallocation and other access changes, during a debate on the future of fishing after 2026. During the debate, secured by Rupert Lowe MP, Mr Carmichael noted the significant loans carried by many fishermen and the risk that reducing quota for current operators would do harm to the industry as a whole. Mr Carmichael further noted the upcoming Trade and Cooperation Agreement review with the EU which is likely to involve a renegotiation of fishing quota and access.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Carmichael said:

“There are serious practical considerations here to be faced before we get to the point that he would want to get to – which I think has some significant force – and it is the reality that most skippers, in my constituency and his, are carrying massive amounts of debt and loans. If we cut the feet out from underneath them in terms of quota reallocation and the rest, then actually the law of unintended consequences could be really severe for the people who have kept that industry going through the lean times.”

Responding, Torcuil Crichton MP (Labour) said:

“As he knows fishermen in my constituency look enviously to the north and the vast amount of value in landings that come in from the Shetland fleet – but if he looks further south in his own constituency, Orkney Council own prawn quota quite they then lease out to young fishers to get into the industry. I dare say there are enough fish in the sea to be shared out and not with a deleterious effect on his constituents.”

Reacting after the exchange, Mr Carmichael said:

“Discussions over the future allocation of fishing quota within the UK really point to the need for proper preparation for negotiations on fishing quota with our near neighbours. The review of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU is fast approaching and it is clear that our European partners see fishing as a key element of negotiations – it is up to ministers to ensure that fishing interests are strengthened after the previous government’s rushed and slapdash deal in 2020.”