Fishing folly
In 2012, there were £22 million worth of landings by Scottish fishing vessels into ports in the rest of the UK. The east coast prawn fishery was saved by fishing for stocks off the north-east of England. Forty per cent of the “Scottish” scallop catch comes from the south-west of England. Scottish vessels fish for blue whiting in Irish waters and cod in Norwegian waters. I could go on.
The idea, promoted in Mr Salmond’s Bruges speech, that we should put all at this at risk, at least for the duration of negotiations over independence, displays breathtaking disregard for the interests of the Scottish fishing industry. If Mr Salmond’s counter-productive bluster is replicated in other sectors of our economy, then heaven help Scotland in the event of him succeeding in gaining independence.
Andrew Mackintosh
Balmoral Terrace
Inverness