Professor John Robertson OBA
Thanks to Dottie, once more, for alerting us to this.
In the National, yesterday:
Scottish Government hits out over ‘totally unacceptable’ fishing deal – MAIRI Gougeon has hit out at the UK Government for short-changing Scotland’s fishing industry over “totally unacceptable” funding allocation.
According to the National report, Scotland, despite having 70% of the catch and generating 58% of the UK revenue, will only receive £28 million out of the total £360 million of investment through the new Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, 7%. Wales and N Ireland get even less, £18m and £10m. So, £304 million, 85% to England.
What is the evidence this is unfair, disproportionate?
From 2024 Economics of the UK Fishing Fleet: https://www.seafish.org/document/?id=36534
First, employment:
Scotland has 49% of the fleet staffing costs.
Also, in 2023, despite a gradual reduction in fuel costs, fishing costs remained high and increased for some segments relative to 2022. 2024 saw fuel costs return closer to historical levels, and this was reflected in lower operating costs for several fleet segments. One exception is the Scottish over 24m fleet, which experienced a 18% increase in average operating costs driven by a 29% increase in average crew costs. [13]
Second, catch revenue:
At first sight, that’s around £8.7 million with £3.5 million in Scotland ports, so 40% revenue generated by the Scottish fishing fleet, but…..
How does Northern Ireland, mainly the large deep sea trawlers, generate more than Scotland with only 193 boats compared to Scotland’s 1 575 boats? They’re either super-efficient or maybe a significant part of the Scottish catch is being landed in Northern Ireland because it’s still in the EU?
Source: https://www.seafish.org/document/?id=36534
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There appears to be a pattern of Westminster funding since Labour came into power .
Funding for Scotland is severely limited while England receives far more than its reasonable share for all sorts of projects from Carbon Capture to GB Energy jobs .
Is this a tacit admission that Starmer thinks that Scottish Independence is inevitable so will not spend ”UK” resources on a soon-to- be competitor ?
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Maybe, but then they throw a few shiney beads at the natives in their colony of Scotland for ‘community’ projects which they say the SNPGov just can’t be trusted with those shiney beads so the colonisers in London and their jobsworths in Scotland will divvy out the dregs…you just could not make it up could you.
Labour is all about vanity projects, expensive, useless, with plenty dosh from the public purse for the private companies they hand contracts to, never on time, always way over budget vanity projects. NO THANKS!
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Probably also England wanting to spitefully damage an independent Scotland’s economy/infrastructure. See what was done to India, etc…
John H
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