The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party has proposed a series of measures to support Scotland's fishing industry in light of what it said are ineffective steps taken by the government under the Scottish National Party (SNP).
"The SNP Government have ignored fishing and our fishermen throughout the last session of the Scottish Parliament," the party said in a statement earlier this month. "Scottish fishing supports an industry worth hundreds of millions of pounds and employs thousands of people. It also provides a healthy and nutritious food source and is important for our own food security. Unfortunately, the SNP and Labour have both failed the sector."
The Conservatives added that, instead of supporting Scotland's fishing industry, the SNP spent half of the last parliamentary session trying to impose "reckless highly protected marine areas (HPMAs) [that] would have devastated Scotland’s fishing industry," while the "unfair trade deals" proposed by the Labour Party, "have betrayed Scottish fishermen."
The Conservatives have therefore proposed a number of alternative measures to support the fishing industry.
These measures include commitment to multi-annual funding for the industry; supporting jobs in aquaculture while upholding marine welfare standards; establishing a fish processing capital grants scheme; enacting a moratorium on further offshore wind farm developments; opposing any new attempts to bring in HPMAs; and the dissolution of the "ineffective" Scottish Marine Directorate.
"We would incorporate the marine directorate into the core Scottish Government and improve communication with the fishing industry regarding the patrolling of our waters and data on fish stocks," the party remarked.
The proposed measures are part of a broader initiative of the party aimed at boosting Scotland's rural economy.