The new man in charge of Britain’s fisheries has pledged to fight for a fairer deal for north and north-east communities.
George Eustice visited Peterhead on a fact-finding mission yesterday, just days after landing the role of UK fisheries minister in a cabinet reshuffle.
The Conservative MP from Cornwall was joined on his visit to the port by new Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael.
The pair were given a tour of one of the north-east’s biggest boats, the Peterhead-registered Pathway, and spoke to crewmen about the challenges facing the fleet.
They were invited to tour the Buchan port by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF).
The aim of the visit was to let Mr Eustice see the industry first hand, before he takes his place at crucial European Fisheries Council talks in Brussels later this year. The annual negotiations will set out the rules for fishing in 2014.
Although the outcome of the talks in recent years have been hailed as fair for Scotland, skippers have had to endure cuts to their quotas and the number of days they spend at sea.
Mr Eustice is also hopeful of hammering out a deal in the long-running dispute over mackerel with Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
He said he wanted to be a “champion” for the industry. “I really wanted to come to Scotland first, particularly because we have some sensitive negotiations going on at the moment,” he said. “The mackerel issue is a big issue here.
“I do think that, with the overall stock now in very good heath – and with scientific evidence showing big increases – we ought to be able to reach an agreement soon.
“There is actually a golden opportunity for us now to get a fair deal.
“However, we will not accept an agreement which will cost us. We don’t want to give away more access concessions to our own waters for instance.”
He said that other countries involved in the dispute needed to play their part. “Everyone needs to be an equal partner in this agreement,” he said.
Mr Eustice added that he would resists calls for further quota restrictions or fewer days at sea allocations at December’s talks in Brussels. “Obviously, a lot has been done already, but I’m interested to see if we could be doing more, such as using more selective gear. That could allow us an even higher quota, but would reduce the catch of juvenile fish.”
Mr Carmichael vowed to give the fisheries minister all the support he needed.