Richard Lochhead, Scotland’s fisheries secretary, has criticized the U.K. Government’s refusal to devolve seafood levy powers to Scotland, citing the significant difference in the nature of the sector in the country.
The minister revealed he had raised the issue with the U.K. Government on a number of occasions, and had also highlighted that Scottish levy money has been used to promote frozen Norwegian fish in the U.K. market.
Scottish Government will now push for maximum autonomy within the current system to ensure the levy can be better used to promote the range of and quality of Scottish seafood at home and abroad.
“The U.K. Government’s continued refusal to devolve the seafood levy is illogical, damaging and a missed opportunity. Quite clearly, decisions on spending levy raised in Scotland should be taken in Scotland in the interests of Scotland’s seafood sector,” said Lochhead.
“If Scotland were allowed to take these investment decisions, it would enable us to properly support our industry by promoting the quality and excellence of Scottish seafood products in markets at home and across the world. We currently have the absurd situation where Scots levy money has been used to promote frozen fish from Norway in the U.K. but can't be used to promote our own seafood as ‘Scottish.’
“Scotland’s seafood sector is primarily based on landing and processing fresh fish through a range of small and medium-sized enterprises which maximize the benefits of Scottish provenance and supply top quality products to the consumer. That’s where we could focus our investment if we had a Scottish levy. It’s a world away from the large-scale importation of foreign-caught frozen fish, which dominates the sector in so much of the rest of the U.K.
“That’s why I am extremely unhappy at the U.K. Government’s decision and why I am left with the only option of pushing for maximum autonomy for Scotland within the current arrangements. Unfortunately that’s very much the second best option for our industry but administrative reforms can at least give Scotland the key role in deciding how the Scottish share of the levy should be spent. That will let us promote the Scottish seafood sector in the best possible way – a move that is clearly supported by many in the Scottish industry.”
The U.K. Seafish Authority is largely funded by a levy on the first sale of seafood products in the country, including imports. Levy is due on all first-hand purchases of sea fish products, including fishmeal, landed in the United Kingdom. It is also due from any U.K.-registered fishing vessel owner, fish and shellfish farmer that lands product in the country for sale direct to a foreign customer, or who transships product within British fishery limits.
