A peer who is leading a House of Lords inquiry into the Common Fisheries Policy has said the Scottish Government’s bid to withdraw from the scheme is futile.
Holyrood ministers want Scotland out of the controversial European Union treaty, which they say has been disastrous for the country’s fishing industry. The SNP government is poised to launch an expert panel group to investigate alternatives to the scheme.
But at the launch of a public inquiry at Peterhead yesterday, former Labour Scottish minister Lord Sewell said there was no chance of Scotland getting out of the CFP — no matter what alternatives are raised.
He told the Press and Journal that to withdraw from the EU policy, Scotland would need the backing of all other states which subscribed to the treaty. “They simply wouldn’t give this idea the time of day,” he said.
The CFP was on trial yesterday as the House of Lords European Union sub-committee on environment and agriculture decamped to the Buchan port. The committee was on a fact-gathering mission to the north-east.
Lord Sewell said: “I believe that we need to start talking about the Scottish Government and how they want to remove themselves from this scheme. But they have to realise that this will require achieving support from all EU member states.”
But Stephen Noon, senior policy adviser to First Minister Alex Salmond, insisted it would not be impossible to win the support of the EU.
Frank Strang, head of sea fisheries conservation division with the Scottish Government, added: “We believe there are good examples of how being outside of the CFP can work.”
Lord Plumb told the inquiry: “I got a lot of very positive vibes from the fishermen. I think if we pulled out of the CFP, it would be greeted with shock and horror.”
The sub-committee is expected to publish a report on its findings later this year.
Last night, the Fishermen’s Association said it was disappointed it had not been picked to speak at the inquiry. Spokesman Roddy McColl said: “Our comment that the CFP is not a system designed to ensure responsible fisheries management has had a particular resonance with the first minister and cabinet secretary.”