SMITH SECURES COMMITMENTS ON FISHERIES

5.00.11pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 28th Jun 2007

Iain Smith, MSP for North East Fife has secured a commitment from the Scottish Executive to consider giving a share of the additional nephrops quota secured for Scotland to the East Neuk. He also gained a further commitment to look into re-opening of the commercial sprat fishery in the Firth of Forth on a trial basis in order to assist the long-term sustainability of the fishing industry in Pittenweem and the East Neuk.

The Commitment was given by Richard Lockhead, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, in response to a question Mr Smith asked in Parliament this afternoon.

Mr Smith said:

"This is excellent news. While we must take care to ensure the long-term sustainability of fisheries, we must balance that with maintaining the fishing industry. It is essential that government is innovative in finding ways to achieve this. I believe the options I have proposed will help to preserve the East Neuk fishing fleet and I hope the Scottish Executive will decide to support these measures after there investigations are completed".

Mr Smith also pressed the Minister to reallocate quota from sectors where quotas are not fully utilised to the non-sector and under 10m boats sector, where there is great demand.