A new poll reveals Scots overwhelmingly (87%) back full UK control over which vessels are allowed to fish in British waters.
And more than 80% insist EU fleets must offer “tangible benefits” for Scottish skippers and crew in order for them to gain access to UK waters.
Currently, EU vessels catch fish worth up to £500 million annually from UK waters.
By contrast, British boats catch just £75m-worth of fish in EU waters.
Fishers’ trade deal warning
In a warning to the UK Government ahead of a potential new trade deal, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) said: “Our fishing industry must not be sold short again.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is due to host a UK-EU Summit in London on May 19.
Fishing is widely seen as a high priority for the EU in trade talks, because of its dependence on UK waters.
But the new poll, conducted by research specialists Opinion Matters, shows nearly nine in 10 Scots believe the UK should have total control over which vessels fish in its waters.
Among people aged 16-24, support for total UK control of fishing stands at 71%.
This rises to 93% for those aged 55 and over, with backing strong throughout the UK.
More than nine in 10 (91%) of survey respondents from the Highlands and Islands believe the UK should control its own waters. In the north-east, home to the large fishing ports of Peterhead and Fraserburgh, the figure is 86%.
Scottish public ‘crystal clear’ in its support for domestic fishing industry
SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said: “These results send a strong signal to negotiators in Westminster and Brussels. The Scottish public are crystal clear – our fishing industry must not be sold short again.
“During the last negotiations, access to our waters was given away too freely and we saw precious little in return. That cannot happen again.”
She added: “This poll confirms that Scots understand the value of fishing to our economy, our coastal communities and our national food security.
“They expect their governments to stand up for those interests.”
The survey also revealed 86% of Scots think any future UK-EU fisheries deal should place Scotland’s fishing interests at its heart.
SFF has hailed this as a “striking endorsement” of the sector’s strategic importance.
Support for demanding clear benefits in exchange for EU access is particularly strong among those aged 55 and over, with nine in 10 people agreeing.
This includes 65% who “strongly agree”, while 62% of 16-24-year-olds also back the idea.
Thousands of livelihoods at stake
Scotland’s fishing industry lands about two-thirds all fish and shellfish caught in the UK every year, making it the UK’s powerhouse of seafood production.
The industry supports thousands of livelihoods across the country and forms the backbone of many coastal towns and villages.
Ms Macdonald said: “Annual negotiations on access are the international norm, and SFF fully supports and favours this approach.
“If the UK Government is minded to capitulate to the EU’s demands on another multi-year deal on access for their fishing fleet, they must extract a proportionate payment in commercially valuable fishing opportunities for our fleet in return.
“This poll now shows the Scottish public overwhelmingly agree.”
MSP chips in on fishing
Highlands and Islands MSP Tim Eagle, the Tories’ spokesman for fishing in the Scottish Parliament, said: “Areas across Scotland are crystal clear that our fishing industry must not be used as a bargaining chip by the Labour government in their negotiations with Europe.”
Opinion Matters surveyed 1,010 adults in Scotland between April 1-5 2025.
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