Anxious skippers put plans for new boats on hold

north-east pair ‘reviewing their options’ amid uncertainty over fishing industry

By Keith Findlay

Published:

Two north-east fishing skippers were said yesterday to have put their plans for new vessels on hold amid the furore over Scottish Government proposals for the industry.

The North East Scotland Fishermen’s Organisation (NESFO) did not identify the pair, but confirmed they worked out of Peterhead and Whitehills, near Banff.

NESFO assistant chief executive Robert Stevenson said: “Other skippers are known to be extremely concerned that these proposals have undermined the value of their businesses and are reviewing their options.”

Some people in the industry were even considering registering their vessels outwith Scotland, he said.

Last month, Scottish Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead pledged to establish Holyrood control over the management of fish quotas north of the border.

The reaction from south of the border and other Scottish political parties to a lengthy consultation document was hostile. Mr Lochhead’s proposals include the establishment of “stewardship rights", with fixed quota allocation units giving access to a share of the annual allocated quota, to be managed by the Scottish Government in consultation with the industry.

Holyrood would make all the decisions on how the quota – agreed annually in Brussels between the UK and other European Union member states – is shared and used.

Yesterday, NESFO said senior fisheries officials at Holyrood gave assurances late last year they would do nothing to derail planned investment in new vessels and any changes would be “light touch”.

But Mr Stevenson said: “How can an 82-page set of proposals be ‘light touch’?

“While some industry leaders have voiced their support for the proposals, the majority of skippers who have read them do not share this opinion. They are disappointed that the Scottish Government’s marine directorate has unnecessarily destabilised the financial foundation of a large section of the Scottish fleet overnight.”

Mr Stevenson said there were already signs that banks were reappraising their valuations of fishing licence and quota holdings, which was likely to mean a cutback on financial help for new boats.

Gerry McDonald, a partner at Aberdeen accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael, which has many clients in the fishing industry, said the new proposals and rising fuel costs meant it was a time of uncertainty for anyone considering new boats.