Scottish Salmon…in a pie

About an hour ago, Barbara dashed up to the supermarket to buy something quick for tea, since we had forgotten to take what was planned out of the freezer. She came back with a fish pie, which I noticed had a Saltire on it, as the salmon was sourced in Scotland.

Scotland is the world's third largest salmon producer with 83 per cent of UK aquaculture production.

I'm interested in fish, and not merely because I enjoy eating it. Over the years, working beside David Thomson one of the world's great fishery experts, I've learned how important the fisheries sector is, but also how badly our fishing and aquacultures communities fare. Some 20 years ago, David and myself had a centre page article published in Scotland on Sunday, which argued for significant reform. But we still wait to see this important sector given the priority it deserves.

Here are some examples. In 2012, Scotland accounted for 87 per cent of the total value of UK landings of key stocks. However, Scotland receives just 41 per cent of the European Fisheries Fund allocation to the UK, despite having a far higher share of both the UK sea fishery and aquaculture sectors. As a result of being a low priority for the UK in EU negotiations, Scotland receives just 1.1 per cent of European fisheries funding despite landing 7 per cent of the European Union's wild-caught fish and accounting for more than 12 per cent of EU aquaculture production.

So things have not improved over the years, with the UK government continuing its long standing failure in negotiations to support Scotland's fisheries.

But it won't stop me enjoying fish pie for tea.